$string =~ s/$_/$hash{$_}/g for (keys %hash);
[download]

$a  = "this is a test";
%b = ( is => 'was' );
foreach my $key ( keys %b ) {
   $a =~ s/$key/$b{$key}/g;
}
print $a,"\n";
# output:      thwas was a test
[download]

-----------------------------------------------------
Dr. Michael K. Neylon - mneylon-pm@masemware.com || "You've left the lens cap of your mind on again, Pinky" - The Brain

Do you mean something like:

my $srch = join ('|', map {'\b.'quotemeta($_).'\b'} keys %trans);
$text =~ s/($srch)/$trans{$1}/g;
[download]

Looks like you're writing your own templating system. There are plenty of them on CPAN, why not look for one there.

Perl Training in the UK <http://www.iterative-software.com>

Speaking of which... if you're looking to do HTML templating, you might take a look at this nice overview of your options (written by perrin): Choosing a Templating System