What are references for?

Reference is a pointer with brains (and brawn).
Data structures (hash of hashes, array of arrays, HoAoHoHoA, ...)
Anonymous structures (array of hashes without needing a name for each hash).
Pass by reference calls to subroutines (pass an array to a subroutine and have the subroutine change it).

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YAPC 2000: Stages of a Perl Programmer - 24