I can convert my data from JSON to objects using the Perl JSON module (http://search.cpan.org/dist/JSON/), but I am having difficulty accessing the data in perl objects. The data appears to be in an array of hashes, but I cannot use any object accessor functions to get at the data. Here's a sample of the data:

{
    "items" : [
        {   "name" : "Theodor Nelson",
            "id": "_333301"
        },
        {   "name": "Morton Heilig",
            "id": "_13204"
         }
        ]
}
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Here's a snippet of my code. Note $inventors_obj holds the data.

$inventors_obj = jsonToObj($inventors_json[0]);

#I want to iterate through my list of inventors
@inventors_array = $inventors_obj->{"items"};
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But $inventors_obj->{"items} appears to be returning a single object, rather than an array. How can iterate through it, change things, and print it back to JSON?

#print name doesn't work, because the entire object is #stored at $inv
+entors_array[0].
print $inventors_array[0]->{"name"}
#So this doesn't work:
print $inventors_array[1]->{"name"}
#I am not sure if this is possible to even alter data #generically wit
+h objects, even though I thought they were
#really just arrays of hashes:
$inventors_array[1]->{"name"} = "New Name";
#But I can do with an array of hashes...
$inventors_array[1]{"name"} = "New Name";
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However, if I convert the object to an array of hashes (how do I do this, "unblessing"?), can I get it back out in JSON? Is there a way I can manipulate it while keeping it as an object?