How do I use symbolic references in Perl?

Question

In Perl, if a variable holds the name for another variable, how do I use the first variable to visit the other one?

For example, let

$name = \"bob\";         


        

Answer 1

See perldoc -q "variable name":

Beginners often think they want to have a variable contain the name of a variable. ...

Short answer: Don't. Long answer: Read the FAQ entry (which is also available on your computer). Longer answer: Read MJD's Why it's stupid to "use a variable as a variable name" (Part 2, Part 3).