If your commands all have a shell like syntax, you could do something like:

my %commands = (
    name => {
        args => 2,
        usage => 'name arg1 arg2',
        sub => 'sub_1', # might wanna allow for code refs here :)
    },
);
my @cmd = split /\s+/, $command;
if ($commands{$cmd[0]}) {
    my $sub = $commands{$cmd[0]}{sub};
    if ($#cmd == $commands{$cmd[0]}{args}) {
        $self->$sub(@cmd);
    }
    else { print "usage: ..." }
}
else { print "unknown command $cmd[0]"}
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Of course then there are still things like quoted strings and command lists. I have code to parse these things, but it is still in alfa-testing/major-rewriting fase :s -- it will be in CVS in about two weeks, on CPAN in a month or so - deo volente
--
Jaap Karssenberg || Pardus (Larus)? <pardus@cpan.org>
>>>> Zoidberg: So many memories, so many strange fluids gushing out of patients' bodies.... <<<<