# ls ssh-targets:
ssh.pl
box1 -> ssh.pl
box2 -> ssh.pl

##</code><code>##

#!/usr/bin/perl
my $file=$0;
# what machine are we looking at?
$file=~s#^(?:.*/)?([^/]+)$#$1#;
my $dest;

# a config hash for expanding the name, and choosing the user.
my $places={
box=>{full=>"boxwithlongname"},
home=>{full=>"blahblah",user=>"alexk"}
};

# if i have many machines with the same long name - abbreviate to box
# (as in hash above), so box1 goes to boxwithlongname1 etc

my ($short,$number)=$file=~/^(\D+)(\d?)$/;
my $hash=$places->{$short};

$dest=$hash->{full}?$hash->{full}.$number:$file;
$user=$hash->{user}||"alex";

# and ssh to it.
exec("ssh $user\@$dest @ARGV") if $dest;