Why not use 1 + int(log($number)/log(10)) in place of length(), if you can be sure you're using positive integers? ;)

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Jeff[japhy]Pinyan: Perl, regex, and perl hacker, who'd like a job (NYC-area)
s++=END;++y(;-P)}y js++=;shajsj<++y(p-q)}?print:??;