@text_lines = <STDIN>;
chomp($text_lines);

##</code><code>##

use warnings;
use strict;

##</code><code>##

$column = <STDIN>;

##</code><code>##

say "$ruler" x $column;

##</code><code>##

rrrrr eeeeee tyyyyy

##</code><code>##

c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -le
"use 5.010;
 ;;
 use warnings;
 use strict;
 ;;
 say 'Please enter a few lines of text. Press ctrl-Z when finished';
 my @text_lines = <STDIN>;
 chomp(@text_lines);
 ;;
 say 'Please enter the width of the column: ';
 my $column = <STDIN>;
 chomp $column;
 ;;
 my $ruler = '1234567890';
 say $ruler x $column;
 ;;
 foreach (@text_lines) {
   printf qq{%${column}s\n}, $_;
   }
"
Please enter a few lines of text. Press ctrl-Z when finished
xyzzy
now is the time for all good men
x
foo bar
^Z
Please enter the width of the column:
7
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
  xyzzy
now is the time for all good men
      x
foo bar