#
# Sub used to write data to FDMS.
# Writing requires that the first 6 bytes are NBxxxx
# where xxxx is the total number of bytes to write plus the NBxxxx.
#
sub write {
   my ($this, $buffer) = @_;
   my $thisSub = (caller(0))[3];
   my $socket = $this->{socket};
   my $select = $this->{select};
   my $verbose = $this->{verbose};
   my $timeout = $this->{writeTimeout};
   $buffer = sprintf('NB%04d%s', length($buffer) + 6, $buffer);
   my $length = length($buffer);
   my $offset;
   my $bytes;
   while ($length > 0) {
      if ($select->can_write($timeout)) {
         $bytes = $socket->syswrite($buffer, $length, $offset);
         croak "Unable to write: $!" unless defined $bytes;
         $offset += $bytes;
         $length -= $bytes;
         print "$thisSub($bytes) = $buffer\n" if $verbose;
      }
      else {
         croak 'timeout on write';
      }
   }
}
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$SIG{PIPE} = sub { die "SIGPIPE\n"; };
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thanks for your input. I've tried the $SIG{PIPE} and it is dying so it is happening. I've tried to simplify it into the following:
Module (Voice.pm):

package Voice;

use IO::Socket;

sub new {
  shift;
  my $self = {};
  bless($self);
  return $self;
} # end-new

sub talk {
  $handle = IO::Socket::INET->new(Proto     => "tcp",
                                  PeerAdr   => "localhost",
                                  PeerPort  => 1314)
                                  || die($!);
  print $handle "(SayText \"Testing.\")" || die($!);
} # end-talk

1;
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Script (test.cgi):

#!/usr/bin/perl

use CGI qw(:header);
print header;

use Voice;
my $voice = new Voice;
$voice->talk;

exit;
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When I run test.cgi through a web browser I get nothing (even if the festival server is not running). When I run it from the command line, I get "broken pipe" regardless of whether the festival server is running or not.
The following script works just fine:

#!/usr/bin/perl

use IO::Socket;
$handle = IO::Socket::INET->new(Proto     => "tcp",
                                PeerAddr  => "localhost",
                                PeerPort  => 1314)
                                || die($!);
print $handle "(SayText \"Testing.\")";

exit;
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Being a newbie at perl modules my guess is that I've done something wrong in writing the module but I really dont know.

UPDATED from original post.

I tried you're simpler test script with $voice->talk, and it wouldn't even work without cgi. If you find the answer, let us know. I'm interested in learning about using sockets in modules, and there seems to be a trick to it, which eludes me. Like you it works from a conventional script. I did get it working from a simple procedural style module, but as soon as I put the $socket into a $self->{CONN} form, it gives a broken pipe. It has to be they way the socket gets stored in the scalar. Either a reference to the scalar needs to be used, or the socket needs to be stored as a full fledged hash? I just started reading my Object Oriented Perl, but hav'nt got far enough yet. :-)

package Voice2;
use IO::Socket;

$handle = IO::Socket::INET->new(Proto     => "tcp",
                               PeerAddr  => "localhost",
                               PeerPort  => 1314)
                                || die($!);

sub talk {
print $handle "(SayText \"Testing.\")";

}

1;
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Test script

#!/usr/bin/perl
use lib '.';
use Voice2;

Voice2::talk;
exit;
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---

I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth. flash japh

package Voice;

use strict;
use warnings;
require IO::Socket;

################################################# 
# Method: Voice->new 
# Description: Object Constructor method 
################################################# 
sub new {

    # bless a new object 
    shift;
    my $self = {};
    bless($self);

    # Set params passed for the object 
    my ( $server, $port ) = ( 'localhost', 1314 );

    # ::: Set Object Parameters ::: # 
    $self->{ERROR}  = undef;      # error (duh!) 
    $self->{SERVER} = $server;    # festival server 
    $self->{PORT}   = $port;      # festival port 
    $self->{PRO}    = 'tcp';      # connection protocol 
    $self->{CONN}   =  IO::Socket::INET->new(
                      Proto     => "tcp",
                      PeerAddr  => "localhost",
                      PeerPort  => 1314)
                           || die($!);

    # return the object 
    return $self;

}    # end-new 

# ----------------------------------------------- 
################################################# 
# Method: Voice->speak 
# Description: say the sentence 
################################################# 
sub speak {

    # set as method 
    my $self = shift;

    # read in the sentence 
    my ($sentence) = @_;

#    my $buffer = "(SayText \"" . $sentence . "\")\n"; 
    my $buffer = "(SayText \"" . $sentence . "\")";
#print "$buffer\n"; 

    # say the sentence 
    if ( syswrite( $self->{CONN}, $buffer, length($buffer) ) ) {
    }    # end-if 
    else {

        # set the error string 
        $self->{ERROR} = "Could not say sentence!";
    }    # end-else 

}    # end-prepare 

# ----------------------------------------------- 
################################################# 
# Method: Voice->close 
# Description: close the festival connection 
################################################# 
sub close {
    # set as method 
    my $self = shift;

    # close the IO::Socket::INET connection 
    shutdown( $self->{CONN}, 2 );
    close( $self->{CONN} );

}    # end-close 
# ----------------------------------------------- 
1;
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#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;
use lib '.';
use Voice;

my $voice = Voice->new;

$voice->speak( 'foobar foobar foobar' );

$voice->close;
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