use IO::Select;
use IO::Pipe;
use IO::Handle;
@connect = ("3","2","1");

    # "main" child
    my $select_ch = new IO::Select;
    foreach $msg (@connect)
    {
      # for each write, fork a child
      if($msg)
      {
        # fork and open child for reading
        my $pipe = new IO::Pipe;

        if(my $pid = fork() )
        {
          #parent
          $fh = $pipe->reader();
          $debug && print "$$ forked $pid\n";
          $fh->blocking(0); # set non-blocking I/O
          $debug && print "adding filehandle ($fh)\n";
          $select_ch->add($fh);
        }
        else
        {
           #child
           my $childhandle = $pipe->writer();
           sleep $msg;
           print $childhandle "$msg,response,$mt\n";
           exit 0; #kill the child process
        }
      }
    } # done with processing this read

    # here we read for responses from the filehandles
    my @readyfiles; #array for select to populate
    my $rh; # a readable filehandle
    while( @readyfiles = $select_ch->can_read() )
    {
       foreach $rh (@readyfiles)
       {
           # read from filehandle, send back string 
           my $child_resp_string = '';
           print "calling read_line\n";
           my $bytes = read_line(\$child_resp_string,$rh);
           $debug && print "returned $child_resp_string\n";
           # only one read per handle, so close
           $select_ch->remove($rh);
           $rh->close;
           my $cnt = $select_ch->count();
           $debug && print "$cnt handles left to read\n";
       }
    }
    print "exiting...\n";
    exit 0;