Like list arrays, associative
arrays can be modified internally. The most common
function, other than defining an associative array, is
adding to it. Adding to an associative array simply
involves telling Perl which key and value to add using the
format:
$ARRAY_NAME{'key'} = "value";
or, using our example above:
$CLIENT_ARRAY{'favorite_candy'} = "Hershey's with Almonds";
%CLIENT_ARRAY now includes full_name,
phone, age and favorite_candy along with their associated
values.
Similarly, you can easily use the delete function to delete
a key/value pair in an associative array. The delete
function follows the syntax:
delete ($ASSOCIATIVE_ARRAY_NAME{'key'});
or for our %CLIENT_ARRAY example:
delete ($CLIENT_ARRAY{'age'});
Thus, %CLIENT_ARRAY would contain only
full_name, phone, and favorite_candy.
