You have the sense of it, though I'd change: 
    'Major task to perform?' => ['task_1','task_2','task_2'],

[download]
to something like 
    'Major task to perform?' =>
       {
         answers => [ 'Add',   'Delete', 'Rename' ],
         keys    => [ 'task_1','task_2', 'task_2' ],
       },

[download]
This way if the user enters 'Add'. the next hash key you'd use is 'task_1'. (Make certain to programmatically test that there are as many keys as there are answers.)

This handles compressing all of the prompts you were talking about. The next problem is: what happens when you get to the end of the user input? You always need to keep track of the last key you used, and you need some way to indicate that you're at a terminal node. (Perhaps a blank key could indicate this.)

Your example would then become: 

my $current_key = 'Major task to perform?';
while ( my $choice = prompt( $current_key, ...)) {
    # set INDEX to offset of $choice in $structure{ $current_key }{ans
+wers}
    # if $structure{$current_key}{keys}[INDEX] is empty
    #        break out of loop; you;'re in a terminal state
    # else $current_key = $structure{$current_key}{keys}[INDEX]
}
<p>A lot of the code is left as an exercise to the reader. Good luck w
+ith your class.

[download]

In reply to Re^3: General pattern for interactive text-mode script? by apl
in thread General pattern for interactive text-mode script? by Anonymous Monk

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