SPUG: deferencing a hash in an array of hashes

[ced at carios2.ca.boeing.com]

> I have a subroutine which builds up an array of hashes in @attributes, and
> then I want to use one of those hashes as it's returned value.

> 	return $attributes[0]; # returns the hash reference in the array.

> How can I return the de-referenced hash?  I seem to be having difficulty.

> Here's @attributes:

>  DB<5> x @attribs
> 0  HASH(0x227a8d0)
>   'defaultvalue' => 'junkchar'
>   'initialization' => 'atconnection'
>   ...

> I just figured I'll de-reference it into %hash and return it as a hash
> rather than a reference...

> 	my %hash = %{$attribs[0]}; # this must be wrong
> 	return %hash;

> Alas!  This doesn't do what I want, now:

>  DB<6> x %hash
> 0  'ishidden'
> 1  'false'
>...

> Can someone please show me the error of my ways?

> Ideally, I'd skip the "my %hash = " part altogether and just do something
> like 

> 	return %{$attribs[0]}; # or whatever the proper syntax is.


You're fine. The return statement just unrolls the hash
and returns the list of key-value pairs.

So, e.g. in sub 'foo' simply: 

   return %{$attribs[0]}; 

then in the call that invokes 'foo':

   my %return_hash = foo();

and that automagically populates your hash. 

Note because a list is being returned, you could
have just as well created a simple array:


   my @return_array = foo();



hope this helps,
--
Charles DeRykus 

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