Usually a hash ref, perhaps like this:
$record = { NAME => "Jason", EMPNO => 132, TITLE => "deputy peon", AGE => 23, SALARY => 37_000, PALS => [ "Norbert", "Rhys", "Phineas"], };References are documented in perlref and the upcoming perlreftut. Examples of complex data structures are given in perldsc and perllol. Examples of structures and object-oriented classes are in perltoot.