See comments. 
sub timetill { # don't use prototypes
   local $| = 1; # will be restored on exit scope

   my $time = shift || return; # use "undef" to signal errors in Perl
   my $line = shift || " seconds until event";

   # why chomp?

   while($time > 0) {
       my $prompt = sprintf "%3d $line", $time;
       print $prompt;
       sleep 1;
       print "\b" x length $prompt; # no need to edit the function
       $time--;
   }
}

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Please read Are prototypes evil? and Tom Christiansen's explanation on prototypes.

Makeshifts last the longest.

In reply to Re: Time until event by Aristotle
in thread Time until event by halxd2

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