Wow thanks for all the replies.
The program I wrote still will enter the room if the slash is removed (but it will not say that) but it seems like the Helper is not working correctly. With all these problems I decided to go with the suggested Parse::IRC module to make this a little easier. Right now I'm just trying to get it to connect in a GTK2 environment and print out text in the terminal but I cant get it to do that. I think the problem is in the incoming_data sub or near there. any ideas? 
#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use strict;
use Gtk2 '-init';
use Glib qw/TRUE FALSE/;
use Gtk2::Gdk::Keysyms;
use IO::Socket;
use Gtk2::Helper;
use Parse::IRC;

#Global Variables
my $sock;
my $chat_textview;
my $chat_entry;
my $chat_send_sig;
my $nick = "LOVERMET";
my $chat_state = 'Connect';
my $chat_button;
my $watch;
my $tag;
my $login = $nick;
my $job = 3;
my $channel = "#GRRUVI";
my $irc = "irc.servercentral.net";
my $parser = Parse::IRC->new(public => 1);
my %dispatch = ('001' => \&irc_001);

#-------------------Main Loop-------------------
&chat_build;

Gtk2->main;

####################CHAT BLOCK####################
#-------------------chat Build-------------------
sub chat_build {
    my $chat_window = Gtk2::Window->new('toplevel');
    $chat_window->set_title('Chat Client');
    $chat_window->set_position('center');
    $chat_window->set_default_size( 300, 300 );
    $chat_window->signal_connect(delete_event=> sub{
        if (defined $sock){
            close $sock;
            $chat_state='Connect';
            Gtk2::Helper->remove_watch($watch);
        };
        return FALSE;
    });
    
    $chat_entry = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    my $chat_vbox = Gtk2::VBox->new;
    
    if ($job != 2){
        my $menu_edit = Gtk2::Menu->new();
        $menu_edit->append(Gtk2::TearoffMenuItem->new);
    
        if ($job == 1){
            my $shortcut1 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+C = Confirm Visu
+al: Aircraft');
            my $shortcut2 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+L = Lost Visual:
+ Aircraft');
            my $shortcut3 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+P = Potential Co
+nflict: Aircraft');
            my $shortcut4 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+N = No Visual: A
+ircraft');
            $shortcut1->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('Confirm Visual: Aircraft '); $chat_entry->set_position(25)
+});
            $shortcut2->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('Lost Visual: Aircraft '); $chat_entry->set_position(22)});
            $shortcut3->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('Potential Conflict: Aircraft '); $chat_entry->set_position
+(29)});
            $shortcut4->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('No Visual: Aircraft '); $chat_entry->set_position(20)});
        
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut1);
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut2);
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut3);
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut4);
        }
    
        if ($job == 3){
            my $shortcut1 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+M = Mandatory 1 
+minute query: All spotters report status');
            my $shortcut2 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+L = Loss of visu
+al 30 sec query: All spotters report status');
            my $shortcut3 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+D = Dual visual 
+contact confirmed: Aircraft');
            my $shortcut4 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+C = LOST VISUAL 
+CONTINGENCY INITIATED: Aircraft');
            my $shortcut5 = Gtk2::MenuItem->new('Ctrl+E = EMERGENCY LA
+NDING CONTINGENCY INITIATED: Aircraft');
            $shortcut1->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('Mandatory 1 minute query: All spotters report status '); $
+chat_entry->set_position(53)});
            $shortcut2->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('Loss of visual 30 sec query: All spotters report status ')
+; $chat_entry->set_position(56)});
            $shortcut3->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('Dual visual contact confirmed: Aircraft '); $chat_entry->s
+et_position(40)});
            $shortcut4->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('LOST VISUAL CONTINGENCY INITIATED: Aircraft '); $chat_entr
+y->set_position(44)});
            $shortcut5->signal_connect('activate' => sub {$chat_entry-
+>set_text('EMERGENCY LANDING CONTINGENCY INITIATED: Aircraft '); $cha
+t_entry->set_position(50)});
        
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut1);
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut2);
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut3);
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut4);
            $menu_edit->append($shortcut5);
        }
    
        my $menu_item_edit= Gtk2::MenuItem->new('_Shortcuts');
        $menu_item_edit->set_submenu ($menu_edit);
        my $menu_bar = Gtk2::MenuBar->new;
        $menu_bar->append($menu_item_edit);
        $chat_vbox->pack_start( $menu_bar, FALSE, FALSE, 0 );
    }
    
    my $chat_scroll = Gtk2::ScrolledWindow->new;
    $chat_scroll->set_shadow_type( 'etched-out');
    $chat_textview = Gtk2::TextView->new;
    #$chat_entry = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    
    my $chat_buffer = $chat_textview->get_buffer;
    $chat_buffer->create_mark( 'end', $chat_buffer->get_end_iter, FALS
+E );
    $chat_buffer->signal_connect(insert_text => sub {
        $chat_textview->scroll_to_mark( $chat_buffer->get_mark('end'),
+ 0.0, TRUE, 0, 0.5 );
    });
    $chat_button = Gtk2::Button->new;
    $chat_button->set_label($chat_state);
    
    
    # allows for sending each line with an enter keypress
    $chat_send_sig = $chat_entry->signal_connect ('key-press-event' =>
+ sub {
        my ($widget,$event)= @_;
        if( $event->keyval() == 65293){  # a return key press
                my $text = $chat_entry->get_text;
                if(defined $sock){ print $sock "PRIVMSG $channel :$tex
+t\r\n";}
                $chat_entry->set_text('');
                $chat_entry->set_position(0);
                post($nick, $text);
        }
    });
    
    $chat_entry->signal_handler_block($chat_send_sig); #not connected 
+yet
    $chat_entry->set_editable(0);
    $chat_textview->set_editable(0);
    $chat_textview->set_cursor_visible(0);
    $chat_textview->set_wrap_mode('word');
    
    $chat_scroll->add($chat_textview);
    $chat_vbox->add($chat_scroll);
    $chat_vbox->pack_start( $chat_entry, FALSE, FALSE, 0 );
    $chat_vbox->pack_start( $chat_button, FALSE, FALSE, 0 );
    
    $chat_window->add($chat_vbox);
    $chat_window->show_all;
    
    $chat_button->signal_connect("clicked" => sub {
        if ($chat_state eq 'Connect') {
            $chat_button->set_label('Disconnect');
            $chat_state='Disconnect';
            &connecting;
        }
        else {
            $chat_button->set_label('Connect');
            $chat_state='Connect';
            &disconnecting;
        }
    });

    #capures the shortcuts
    if ($job == 1){
        my @chat_accels = (
            #Spotter only
            #Confirm Aircraft 1-5
            {key => 'C', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("Confirm Visual: Aircraft "); $chat_entry->set_positi
+on(25)}},
            #Lost Aircraft 1-5
            {key => 'L', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("Lost Visual: Aircraft "); $chat_entry->set_position(
+22)}},
            #Potential Conflict Aircraft 1-5
            {key => 'P', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("Potential Conflict: Aircraft "); $chat_entry->set_po
+sition(29)}},
            #No visual Aircraft 1-5
            {key => 'N', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("No Visual: Aircraft "); $chat_entry->set_position(20
+)}}
        );
        my $chat_accel_group = Gtk2::AccelGroup->new;
        foreach my $a (@chat_accels) {
            $chat_accel_group->connect ($Gtk2::Gdk::Keysyms{$a->{key}}
+, $a->{mod}, 'visible', $a->{func});
        }
        $chat_window->add_accel_group ($chat_accel_group);
    };
    
    if ($job == 3){
        my @chat_accels = (
            #Met Base
            #Manditory query
            {key => 'M', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("Mandatory 1 minute query: All spotters report status
+ "); $chat_entry->set_position(53)}},
        #Loss of Visual
            {key => 'L', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("Loss of visual 30 sec query: All spotters report sta
+tus "); $chat_entry->set_position(56)}},
        #Dual visual contact confirmed
            {key => 'D', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("Dual visual contact confirmed: Aircraft "); $chat_en
+try->set_position(40)}},
        #LoV Contigency initiated 1-5
            {key => 'C', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("LOST VISUAL CONTINGENCY INITIATED: Aircraft "); $cha
+t_entry->set_position(44)}},
        #Emergency Landing
            {key => 'E', mod => 'control-mask', func => sub {$chat_ent
+ry->append_text("EMERGENCY LANDING CONTINGENCY INITIATED: Aircraft ")
+; $chat_entry->set_position(50)}}
        );
        my $chat_accel_group = Gtk2::AccelGroup->new;
        foreach my $a (@chat_accels) {
            $chat_accel_group->connect ($Gtk2::Gdk::Keysyms{$a->{key}}
+, $a->{mod}, 'visible', $a->{func});
        }
        $chat_window->add_accel_group ($chat_accel_group);
        
        #open chat output file: month day hour minute second
        if ($job == 3){
            my @time = gmtime;
            my $m = $time[4]+1;
            my $d = $time[3];
            my $h = $time[2];
            my $mi = $time[1];
            my $s = $time[0];
            
            $m = "0$m" if $m < 9;
            $d = "0$d" if $d < 9;
            $h = "0$h" if $h < 9;
            $mi = "0$mi" if $mi < 9;
            $s = "0$s" if $s < 9;
            
            my $output = "$m$d$h$mi$s";
            open(CHAT,'>', $output);
        }
    };
    
    return;
}

#-------------------Connect to IRC Server-------------------
sub connecting {
    # Connect to the IRC server.
    $sock = new IO::Socket::INET(
        PeerAddr => $irc,
        PeerPort => 6667,
        Proto => 'tcp',
    ) or die "Can't connect\n";
    
    # Log on to the server.
    print $sock "NICK $nick\r\n";
    print $sock "USER $login 8 * :CoCoNUE Member\r\n";
    
            $watch = Gtk2::Helper->add_watch( fileno $sock, 'in', \&in
+coming_data, $sock );
            $chat_entry->set_editable(1);
            $chat_entry->grab_focus;
            $chat_entry->signal_handler_unblock ($chat_send_sig);

    Gtk2->main_iteration while Gtk2->events_pending;
    return 1;
}

#-------------------Watch for IRC Inputs-------------------
sub incoming_data {
    my ( $fd, $condition, $fh ) = @_;
    
    print "its going\n";
    
    if ( $condition eq 'in' ) {
        my $input;
        sysread $fh, $input, 1000000;
        #chop $input;
        
        $input =~ s/\r\n//g;
    my $hashref = $parser->parse( $input );
    SWITCH: {
          my $type = lc $hashref->{command};
          my @args;
          push @args, $hashref->{prefix} if $hashref->{prefix};
          push @args, @{ $hashref->{params} };
          if ( defined $dispatch{$type} ) {
            $dispatch{$type}->(@args);
            last SWITCH;
          }
          print STDOUT join( ' ', "irc_$type:", @args ), "\n";
    }
}
        
    return 1;
}


sub irc_001 {
    print STDOUT "Connected to $_[0]\n";
    print $sock "JOIN $channel\r\n";
    return 1;
  }

[download]

In reply to Re^2: IRC Client not Joining Channel by deadpickle
in thread IRC Client not Joining Channel by deadpickle

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