Accessing Hash Elements

[autodidact]

Would anyone happen to know why i'm getting an error with the following code?

[CODE=perl]
#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;

$family_name{"f red"} = "astaire"; [/CODE]
I get the following error

syntax error at filename.plx, near "$family_na me{"
Execution of filename.plx aborted due to compilation errors.

and when i try

[CODE=perl]
#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;

@family_name{"f red"} = "astaire"; [/CODE]
It says Scalar value @family_name{"f red"} better written as $family_name{"f red"} at filename.plx syntax error at filename.plx, near @family_name{"

Why is Perl Contradicting itself?

Thanks In Advance!

[eWish]

You first need the hash. Then you can add elements to it.

[CODE=perl]#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;

my %family_name = ();

$family_name{'f red'} = 'astaire';
print $family_name{'f red'};[/code]

[autodidact]

You first need the hash. Then you can add elements to it.

[CODE=perl]#!/usr/bin/perl

use strict;
use warnings;

my %family_name = ();

$family_name{'f red'} = 'astaire';
print $family_name{'f red'};[/code]

Thanks!! Sometime programming just gets me riled up when i discover silly mistakes