#### Program:
# The Acronym Expander Program
$acronym_to_name{"CGI"}   = "Common Gateway Interface";
$acronym_to_name{"DHTML"} = "Dynamic HyperText Markup Language";
$acronym_to_name{"HTML"}  = "HyperText Markup Language";
$acronym_to_name{"XHTML"} = "Extensible HyperText Markup Language";
$acronym_to_name{"perl"}  = "Practical Extraction and Report Language";

for (;;) {
    print "enter an acronym: ";
    $acronym = <STDIN>; 
    chomp($acronym);
    
    if    ( $acronym eq "" )            { last;                                           }
    $name = $acronym_to_name{$acronym};
    if    ( $name eq "" )               { print "   We have no listing for $acronym\n\n"; }
    else                                { print "   $name\n\n";                           } 
}             
__END__

#### Sample Dialogue:

Please enter an acronym: CGI
  Common Gateway Interface
        
Please enter an acronym: DHTML
  Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language
        
#### Notes on Code Fragments:

$acronym_to_name{"CGI"}   = "...";  # sets the entry for CGI to the value ...
                                        (ie. the entry in the hash acronym_to_name)
       { }                          # the { } tells you this is a hash

$name = $acronym_to_name("CGI");    # sets $name to the value of the entry for CGI

$name = $acronym_to_name($acronym}  # sets $name to the value of the entry for $acronym
                                    # if $acronym is equal DHTML,
                                    # $name will be set to "Dynamic HyperText Markup Language";
                                    
############################# that's all folks #################################