#!/usr/bin/perl -wl

    my $buffer = "\04perl\03awk\01C";

    # Try this incomplete string
    # my $buffer = "\04perl\03awk\01C\6pytho";

    while ((my $size = ord $buffer) < length $buffer) {
        print unpack 'C/a', $buffer;
        substr $buffer, 0, $size +1, '';

    }

    print "<$buffer>";