Gah. Thank you. I totally missed that.

But this still doesnt clarify in my mind why it returns immediately. For instance check this output:

D:\Development>type test.pl
print "hello world!\n";
#sleep(999999);

D:\Development>perl -I. -MNameExe test.pl && echo boo
boo

D:\Development>hello world!
[cursor blinks here]
[download]

Is this what I should have expected?! (Update: I mean should the echo statement complete before the newly spawned perl process? I would expect the output to be reversed.)

Now that I think about it, I'd it's all about timing. Consider

perl -e"exec $^X,qw[ -e sleep(1);warn(666)];die 55" && echo BOO
perl -e'exec $^X,qw[ -e sleep(1);warn(666)];die 55' && echo BOO
[download]

and vary the sleep duration (0 and up). On Win2000 I get

E:\>perl -e"exec $^X,qw[ -e sleep(0);warn(666)];die 55" && echo BOO
666 at -e line 1.
BOO

E:\>perl -e"exec $^X,qw[ -e sleep(1);warn(666)];die 55" && echo BOO
BOO

E:\>666 at -e line 1.
[download]

and on debian with bash I get

crazyinsomniac@perlmonk:~$ perl -e'exec $^X,qw[ -e sleep(1);warn(666)]
+;die 55' && echo BOO
666 at -e line 1.
BOO
[download]

regardless of the sleep duration (the sleep just delays the output). The bash might be fixing the results with some kind of buffering but I can't tell.

MJD says "you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo!"

I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6.x and 5.8.x -- I take requests (README).

** The third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.