package myHash;

sub new { bless {}, shift }

sub AUTOLOAD {
    # next two lines just to see what's happening...
    print '@_ = ('.join(', ',map{"'$_'"}@_), ")\n";
    print "\$AUTOLOAD = $AUTOLOAD\n";

    my ($self,$value) = @_;
    (my $key = $AUTOLOAD) =~ s/.*:://;
    $self->{$key} = $value if $value;
    $self->{$key};
} 
1;

##</code><code>##

#!/usr/bin/perl
use myHash;
$thingy = myHash->new(foo => 'bar');
print $thingy->foo,"\n";
print $thingy->foo('baz'),"\n";
print $thingy->age('ageless'),"\n";
__END__
#output:
@_ = ('myHash=HASH(0x8166c28)')
$AUTOLOAD = myHash::foo

@_ = ('myHash=HASH(0x8166c28)', 'baz')
$AUTOLOAD = myHash::foo
baz
@_ = ('myHash=HASH(0x8166c28)', 'ageless')
$AUTOLOAD = myHash::age
ageless
@_ = ('myHash=HASH(0x8166c28)')
$AUTOLOAD = myHash::DESTROY