What does the - arrow do in Perl?

Question

I keep seeing `->` in code and I am not exactly sure what it means. For example: ``` @top_links = @{$m->links}; ``` What does this line do? Also, where can I maybe read about it?

Accepted Answer

See The Arrow Operator in perlop:

"`->`" is an infix dereference operator, just as it is in C and C++. If the right side is either a `[...]`, `{...}`, or a `(...)` subscript, then the left side must be either a hard or symbolic reference to an array, a hash, or a subroutine respectively. (Or technically speaking, a location capable of holding a hard reference, if it's an array or hash reference being used for assignment.) See perlreftut and perlref.

Otherwise, the right side is a method name or a simple scalar variable containing either the method name or a subroutine reference, and the left side must be either an object (a blessed reference) or a class name (that is, a package name). See perlobj.

What does the -> arrow do in Perl?

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