Tie::RefHash - use references as hash keys

- NAME
- SYNOPSIS
- DESCRIPTION
- EXAMPLE
- AUTHOR
- VERSION
- SEE ALSO

# NAME

Tie::RefHash - use references as hash keys

# SYNOPSIS

        require 5.004;
        use Tie::RefHash;
        tie HASHVARIABLE, 'Tie::RefHash', LIST;
        tie HASHVARIABLE, 'Tie::RefHash::Nestable', LIST;

        untie HASHVARIABLE;

# DESCRIPTION

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.

# EXAMPLE

        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";
        }

# AUTHOR

Gurusamy Sarathy gsar@activestate.com

# VERSION

Version 1.3 8 Apr 2001

# SEE ALSO

perl(1), perlfunc(1), `perltie(1)`

Tie::RefHash - use references as hash keys