in reply to Why does testing for the existence of hash keys create the keys ?
From exists:
Although the most deeply nested array or hash element will not spring into existence just because its existence was tested, any intervening ones will.
This is called autovivification. There is a good explanation of autovivification at http://sysarch.com/Perl/autoviv.txt.
Hope that helps,
Athanasius <°(((>< contra mundum
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