top -bcS -n 1
 -b       batch mode (non-interactive)
 -n <num> iteration count
 -S       cumulative CPU for dead children
 -c       display full command line

##</code><code>##

lll.pl:
    sub longestLineLength {
      my $longestLen = undef;
      for my $l ( @_ ) {
        if ( length($l) > $longestLen ) {
          $longestLen = length($l);
       }
      }
      return $longestLen;
    }

test-01.pl:
    #!/usr/bin/perl
    require "lll.pl";
    open (TOP, "/usr/bin/top -bcS -n 1 |")
      || die "open pipe from top failed $!";
    print longestLineLength( <TOP> ) . "\n";

$ ./test-01.pl
80

##</code><code>##

$ COLUMNS=1000 ./test-01.pl
552

##</code><code>##

    open (TOP, "COLUMNS=1000 /usr/bin/top -bcS -n 1 |")
OR
    open (TOP, "/usr/bin/env -i COLUMNS=1000 /usr/bin/top -bcS -n 1 |")

##</code><code>##

$ ./test-02.pl
552

##</code><code>##

$ ./test-02.pl 2>err
81

##</code><code>##

test-03.pl:
    open (TOP, "/usr/bin/env -i COLUMNS=1000 /usr/bin/top -bcS -n 1 2>err.txt |")

$ ./test-03.pl
81

##</code><code>##

    #!/usr/bin/perl
    require "lll.pl";
    
    my $outFileName = shift @ARGV;
    my $errFileName = $outFileName . ".err";
    open( STDOUT, ">> $outFileName" )
      || die "failed to redirect STDOUT to '$outFileName': $!";
    open( STDERR, ">> $errFileName" )
      || die "failed to redirect STDERR to '$errFileName': $!";
    
    open (TOP, "/usr/bin/env -i COLUMNS=1000 /usr/bin/top -bcS -n 1 |")
      || die "open pipe from top failed $!";
    print longestLineLength( <TOP> ) . "\n";

$ ./test-04.pl output
$ cat output
81

##</code><code>##

$ perl -v
This is perl, v5.6.1 built for i386-linux

$ type -a top
top is /usr/bin/top

$ rpm -qf /usr/bin/top
procps-2.0.7-11

$ ls -l /bin/sh
... /bin/sh -> bash

$ rpm -qf /bin/bash /bin/sh
bash-2.05-8
bash-2.05-8

$ uname -a
Linux ahost 2.4.9-e.40enterprise #1 SMP Thu Apr 8 16:43:01 EDT 2004 i686 unknown
(actually it's RedHat Enterprise Linux 2.1, w/ recent patches)