Tie::RefHash(3perl) Perl Programmers Reference Guide Tie::RefHash(3perl)
NAME
Tie::RefHash - Use references as hash keys
VERSION
version 1.40
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";
}
THREAD SUPPORT
Tie::RefHash fully supports threading using the "CLONE" method.
STORABLE SUPPORT
Storable hooks are provided for semantically correct serialization and
cloning of tied refhashes.
SEE ALSO
perl(1), perlfunc(1), perltie(1)
SUPPORT
Bugs may be submitted through the RT bug tracker
<https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=Tie-RefHash> (or
bug-Tie-RefHash@rt.cpan.org <mailto:bug-Tie-RefHash@rt.cpan.org>).
AUTHORS
Gurusamy Sarathy <gsar@activestate.com>
Tie::RefHash::Nestable by Ed Avis <ed@membled.com>
CONTRIBUTORS
• Yuval Kogman <nothingmuch@woobling.org>
• Karen Etheridge <ether@cpan.org>
• Florian Ragwitz <rafl@debian.org>
• Jerry D. Hedden <jdhedden@cpan.org>
COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE
This software is copyright (c) 2006 by יובל קוג'מן (Yuval Kogman)
<nothingmuch@woobling.org>.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.
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