If you would take the time to format your post in a readable fashion. it might encourage more people to read it, and perhaps offer advice.

If you would take the time to format your code better, we might get the impression that you are serious about learning something.

What is it that you are trying to do?

• Get a chat application to use?

  Download one of the zillion, working, tested and available for free.

• Learn Perl.

  Start with something simpler than a multi-tasking, multi-communicating application.

• Learn socket programming.

  Start with something non-multi-tasking.

  Understand the basics of stream IO.

  Understand what CRLF is and how it relates to

  1. network conventions;
  2. platform conventions;
  3. Perl's IO operators.

• Learn threaded programming.

  Start with something that doesn't involve stuff that you don't yet understand like Perl's basic IO operators. Never mind socket programming.

Attempting to learn all three things simultaneously is like trying to learn to drive in an articulated lorry (18-wheeler) in the fast last of the motorway (freeway) whilst trying to learn enough CB-radio lingo to be able to ask for directions to your destination.

It's not just harder for you to learn; it taxes the patience of those that might elect to help you.

1. Badly formatted post:

   means few people will bother to read it.

2. Badly formatted code:

   He wants to know how to pull a J-turn whilst 4-wheel drifting, but doesn't understand the difference between under- and over-steer yet.

3. Questions that go off in a dozen different directions:

   Eg. threads; POE; IO::Select; CRLF; Unix Network Programming;

   He doesn't know what his goal is; so attempting to point him in the right direction is impossible.