c:\@Work\Perl\monks>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $done = 'got stuff to do';
 print qq{'$done'};
 ;;
 for my $i (1 .. 4) {
   print $i;
   if ($i == 2) {
     $done = 'finished';
     last;
     }
   }
 print qq{'$done'};
"
'got stuff to do'
1
2
'finished'
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Note that you need to execute last after setting ('exporting') the  $done flag, not before as in your most recently posted originally posted code.