If you're willing to stick with backspace and carriage return, this really isn't a hard hack at all. Here's a twirly-bob: 
{
        my $p=0;
        $|=1;
        sub tick {
                print substr(qq{|/-\\|/-\\}, $p++, 1), "\b";
                $p=0 if ($p > 8);
        }
}

[download]
Just call tick repeatedly and the thing will spin. Or a percentage meter: 
{
        my $bar=qq{0%..........50%..........100%};
        $|=1;
        sub bar {
                local $_=$bar;

                substr($_, $_[0]/100*length($_), 1)="|";
                print "$_\r";
        }
}

[download]
Just call bar with a number between 1 and 100 to indicate how complete things are.

In reply to Re: progress bars by clintp
in thread progress bars by PetaMem

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