@data = @items{@fields} construct after a foreach - where can I find a literature reference to this?

From: Henry Lenzi (strangeuser_at_strangeuser.com)
Date: 02/25/05 

Date: 25 Feb 2005 01:02:00 -0500

# Hi all --

# I'm unable to find a justification, in the Perl literature, of the @data=@items{@fields}

# construct. In fact, I can't find it!

# In a previous message, Message-Id: <slrnd1qnn6.7fp.tadmc@magna.augustmail.com>

# the following script sprung from the discussion:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;

my @array;

_writeMiniCard();

sub _writeMiniCard
{

    print "Choice (1) (2) \n";
    my $choice = <STDIN>;

    if ($choice == 1) {
        _enterCard(); }
    elsif ($choice == 2) {
    print "choice 2\n";#stub
    }}

# Thanks to Tad McClellan for this
sub _enterCard {
      my %items;
      my @fields = ( 'AUTHOR(S)= ', 'TITLE= ', 'KEYWORDS= ',
                       'SOURCE/JOURNAL= ', 'VOL= ', 'YEAR= ',
                       'PAGES= ', 'EDITOR= ', 'ETC= ', 'X-REF= '
                     );

      foreach my $prompt ( @fields ) {
         print "$prompt ";
         $items{$prompt} = $prompt . <STDIN>; # Aah! I Got it!
      }

# What came next I found truly intriguing!

# Wow! It will iterate ?! It blew my mind!

# How come this happened ?!?!

      
     my @array = @items{ @fields };
      
      print "\n @array\n";
  }

# Here's my tentative explanation (*please* correct me if I'm wrong):

# 1) The foreach expression offers a list context. The control variable

# ('$prompt', in this case) receives each element of the @fields array,

# and through '$items{$prompt} = $prompt . <STDIN>' the lexically scoped

# hash '%items' is filled. That is, the result is in list context;

# 2) Then, 'my @array = @items{ @fields }'...What is going on is an

# attribution operation, and pairs abtained from '@items { @fields }'

# fill up the '@array'.

# I *think* I might have justified the functioning of the code.

# However, I would be just *so* grateful if anyone could point

# out a source in the Perl "literature" that specifically mentions

# or justifies the iteration form '@array = @items{ @fields }'.

# Thanks very much,

# best regards,

# Henry Lenzi