package MyPack::Alerts; 
    sub new 
    { 
       my ($class, $args) = @_; 
     
       my $self = { 
          # empty array of error strings 
          # empty hash of the endpoints that have had BEM alerts sent 
          endpoints         => {}, 
          alert_id => 0, 
    }; 
     
     
    sub myfunc 
    { 
       if (! exists $self->{endpoints}->{$anEndpointName}) { 
          ++$self->{alert_id}; 
          $self->{endpoints}->{$anEndpointName}->{alertString} = $anAlertString; 
          $self->{endpoints}->{$anEndpointName}->{alertID} = $self->{alert_id}; 
       } 
       else { 
          $self->{endpoints}->{$anEndpointName}->{alertString} = $anAlertString; 
       } 
    }