Before setting a value for $a: SV = NULL(0x0) at 0x8ecfa60 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = () After setting a value for $a: SV = PV(0x8ebe0c0) at 0x8ecfa60 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (POK,pPOK) PV = 0x8ed8618 "Test"\0 CUR = 4 LEN = 8 And $c is: SV = PV(0x8ebe0d0) at 0x8edf228 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (POK,pPOK) PV = 0x8ed4b88 "Clobbered"\0 CUR = 9 LEN = 12 Globref *a is: SV = PVGV(0x8ef2840) at 0x8ecfa50 REFCNT = 10 FLAGS = (MULTI) NAME = "a" NAMELEN = 1 GvSTASH = 0x8ec0048 "main" GP = 0x8ed8c28 SV = 0x8ecfa60 REFCNT = 1 IO = 0x0 FORM = 0x0 AV = 0x0 HV = 0x0 CV = 0x0 CVGEN = 0x0 LINE = 8 FILE = "./test.pl" FLAGS = 0x2 EGV = 0x8ecfa50 "a" After saving references \%tmp is: SV = IV(0x8ec0e14) at 0x8ec0e18 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (TEMP,ROK) RV = 0x8f01bf8 SV = PVHV(0x8ec5454) at 0x8f01bf8 REFCNT = 2 FLAGS = (PADMY,SHAREKEYS) ARRAY = 0x8ecf330 (0:6, 1:2) hash quality = 125.0% KEYS = 2 FILL = 2 MAX = 7 RITER = -1 EITER = 0x0 Elt "a" HASH = 0xca2e9442 SV = IV(0x8ec0e24) at 0x8ec0e28 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (ROK) RV = 0x8ecfa60 SV = PV(0x8ebe0c0) at 0x8ecfa60 REFCNT = 2 FLAGS = (POK,pPOK) PV = 0x8ed8618 "Test"\0 CUR = 4 LEN = 8 Elt "b" HASH = 0xdb819b SV = IV(0x8ec0e44) at 0x8ec0e48 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (ROK) RV = 0x8ecfa90 SV = PV(0x8ebe0c8) at 0x8ecfa90 REFCNT = 2 FLAGS = (POK,pPOK) PV = 0x8ee98b8 "Unused"\0 CUR = 6 LEN = 8 After aliasing $a to $c, $a is: SV = PV(0x8ebe0d0) at 0x8edf228 REFCNT = 2 FLAGS = (POK,pPOK) PV = 0x8ed4b88 "Clobbered"\0 CUR = 9 LEN = 12 After aliasing $a to $c, *a is: SV = PVGV(0x8ef2840) at 0x8ecfa50 REFCNT = 10 FLAGS = (MULTI) NAME = "a" NAMELEN = 1 GvSTASH = 0x8ec0048 "main" GP = 0x8ed8c28 SV = 0x8edf228 REFCNT = 1 IO = 0x0 FORM = 0x0 AV = 0x0 HV = 0x0 CV = 0x0 CVGEN = 0x0 LINE = 8 FILE = "./test.pl" FLAGS = 0x2 EGV = 0x8ecfa50 "a" After restoring *a, *a is: SV = PVGV(0x8ef2840) at 0x8ecfa50 REFCNT = 10 FLAGS = (MULTI) NAME = "a" NAMELEN = 1 GvSTASH = 0x8ec0048 "main" GP = 0x8ed8c28 SV = 0x8ecfa60 REFCNT = 1 IO = 0x0 FORM = 0x0 AV = 0x0 HV = 0x0 CV = 0x0 CVGEN = 0x0 LINE = 8 FILE = "./test.pl" FLAGS = 0x2 EGV = 0x8ecfa50 "a" Finally, $a is: SV = PV(0x8ebe0c0) at 0x8ecfa60 REFCNT = 1 FLAGS = (POK,pPOK) PV = 0x8ed8618 "Test"\0 CUR = 4 LEN = 8