Tie::RefHash(3pm)					 Perl Programmers Reference Guide					 Tie::RefHash(3pm)

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 informa-
       tion.

       The Nestable version works by looking for hash references being stored and converting them to tied hashes so that they too can have refer-
       ences 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';
	   $b->{foo} = 'bar';
	   for (keys %h) {
	      print ref($_), "
";
	   }

	   tie %h, 'Tie::RefHash::Nestable';
	   $h{$a}->{$b} = 1;
	   for (keys %h, keys %{$h{$a}}) {
	      print ref($_), "
";
	   }

AUTHOR

       Gurusamy Sarathy        gsar@activestate.com

VERSION

       Version 1.30

SEE ALSO

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

perl v5.8.0							    2002-06-01							 Tie::RefHash(3pm)