This has probably been asked before, so my apologies if that is the case.

I need to work with two-dimensional arrays where the second dimension is an array
structure itself of variable length.  Could anyone provide guidance/pointers to a
FAQ or some such archive.

many thanks,
  robin

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Robin McEntire

Valley Forge Labs, Research and Development     voice: 215-648-2191
70 East Swedesford Rd.                          fax:   215-648-2288
Paoli, PA  19301
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

This isn't really a two-dimensional array, it's a vector of vectors.  I've
done this using eval, by representing each row using a variable.

sub array_element {

  local($varname) = "$arrayname_$i";
  eval "$varname" . "[$j]";

sub set_array_element {

  local($varname) = "${arrayname}_$i";
  eval "$varname" . "[$j] = '$value'";

I've done similar things to allow associative arrays to contain arrays
(even other associative arrays) as their values.  The value in the
associative array would be the name of a variable whose value is the array.

--
Barry Margolin
System Manager, Thinking Machines Corp.

It's posible to simulate multiple dimensions using associative arrays.
See the discussion of $; in the man page.