Tie::RefHash - use references as hash keys |
Tie::RefHash - use references as hash keys
require 5.004; use Tie::RefHash; tie HASHVARIABLE, 'Tie::RefHash', LIST; tie HASHVARIABLE, 'Tie::RefHash::Nestable', LIST;
untie HASHVARIABLE;
This module provides the ability to use references as hash keys if you
first tie
the hash variable to this module. Normally, only the
keys of the tied hash itself are preserved as references; to use
references as keys in hashes-of-hashes, use Tie::RefHash::Nestable,
included as part of Tie::RefHash.
It is implemented using the standard perl TIEHASH interface. Please
see the tie
entry in perlfunc(1)
and perltie(1)
for more information.
The Nestable version works by looking for hash references being stored and converting them to tied hashes so that they too can have references as keys. This will happen without warning whenever you store a reference to one of your own hashes in the tied hash.
use Tie::RefHash; tie %h, 'Tie::RefHash'; $a = []; $b = {}; $c = \*main; $d = \"gunk"; $e = sub { 'foo' }; %h = ($a => 1, $b => 2, $c => 3, $d => 4, $e => 5); $a->[0] = 'foo'; $b->{foo} = 'bar'; for (keys %h) { print ref($_), "\n"; }
tie %h, 'Tie::RefHash::Nestable'; $h{$a}->{$b} = 1; for (keys %h, keys %{$h{$a}}) { print ref($_), "\n"; }
Gurusamy Sarathy gsar@activestate.com
Version 1.30
perl(1), perlfunc(1), perltie(1)
Tie::RefHash - use references as hash keys |