I'm using a slightly modified version the example POE forking job server found here http://poe.perl.org/?POE_Cookbook/Child_Processes_3 (added statements to print responses to a irc user or channel). Running Perl 5.8.8 on Suse Linux 10. The 1st sub returns its data from a sql query just fine, the 2nd bit of code appears to work except no data structure seems to be returned. This code works fine.

{
        binmode(STDOUT);    # Required for this to work on MSWin32
    my $cmd = shift;
    my $nick = shift;
    my $who = shift;
    my $where = shift;
    my $channel=shift;
     my $args=shift;
    my $msg=shift;
    my %hash = %$args;
    my $data;
        my $filter = POE::Filter::Reference->new();
my $debug="true";
        # Code goes Below #
        use DBI;
        use Date::Manip;

        # You need to return $status for the bot log and
        # $result for the user. You don't need any Print commands.

    my ($search) = $msg =~ /^!$cmd (.+)/;
    $search = trim($search);
    my $date = UnixDate(ParseDate($search), '%m/%d/%y %I:%M:%S%p %Z (%
+z)');
    if ($debug){print "cmd[$cmd] nick[$nick] who[$who] where[$where] c
+hannel[$channel] args[$args] search[$search] date[$date]\n"};
    my $title = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'title'};
    my $database = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'database'};
    my $user = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'user'};
    my $password = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'password'};
    my $table = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'table'};
    my $select = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'select'};
    my $header = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'header'};
    my $input = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'input'};
    my $sqlfilter = $public_handlers{$cmd}->{'args'}->{'filter'};
        my $datenow = `date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"`;
        chomp($datenow);
        $select =~ s/\$date_now/$datenow/g;
    if ($debug){print "title[$title] database[$database] user[$user] p
+assword[$password] table[$table] select[$select] header[$header] inpu
+t[$input] sqlfilter[$sqlfilter]\n"}; 
    my $result = "Performing SQL Query for [$select]\n $title\n";
    my $status = "Performing SQL Query for [$select]\n $title\n";
        # return results
    my %result = ( task => $cmd, status => $status, reply_to => $nick,
+ result => $result );
        my $output = $filter->put( [ \%result ] ); print @$output;

    # query db
    my @row;
    my $dbh = DBI->connect("DBI:mysql:$database:localhost:3306","$user
+", "$password", { RaiseError => 1, AutoCommit => 1 });
    my $sth = $dbh->prepare(qq!SELECT * FROM $table WHERE $select!);
    $sth->execute;
    my $x=0;
    while ((@row) = $sth->fetchrow_array) {
        my $line= join(" ", map {defined $_ ? $_ : ""} @row);
        $status = "[$x] $line\n";
        $result = "[$x] $line\n";
        # return results
        %result = ( task => $cmd, status => $status, reply_to => $nick
+, result => $result );
        $output = $filter->put( [ \%result ] ); print @$output;
        $x++;
        if ($x > 9){last};
    }
    $sth->finish;
    $dbh->disconnect;
        $status = "Done.\n";
        $result = "Done.\n";

        # Code Goes Above #
        # return results
    %result = ( task => $cmd, status => $status, reply_to => $nick, re
+sult => $result );
        $output = $filter->put( [ \%result ] ); print @$output;
}
[download]

This code does not seem to return its data... I can see in the log that the ssh command does seem to be successful.

{
# forking plugin to run a command on a remote server via ssh
# non interactive and buffered. output returns after command completes

    binmode(STDOUT);    # Required for this to work on MSWin32
    my $cmd = shift;
        my $nick = shift;
        my $who = shift;
        my $where = shift;
    my $channel=shift;
    my $args=shift;
    my $msg=shift;
    my %hash = %$args;
    my $data;
    my $filter = POE::Filter::Reference->new();

    my $cmdargs="";
    my ($plugin, $user, $pass, $host, $cmdx, @args)=split /\s+/, $msg;
        # print "nick[$nick] who[$who]\n";
        # print "got ($plugin, $user, $pass, $host, $cmdx, @args)\n";
    for my $arg (@args){
        $cmdargs .= " " . $arg;
    }
    use Net::SSH::Perl;
    my $ssh = Net::SSH::Perl->new($host, options => [
        "BatchMode yes", "RhostsAuthentication no", "Debug true" ]);
    $ssh->login($user, $pass);
    my ($stdout, $stderr, $exit) = $ssh->cmd($cmdx, $cmdargs);
        chomp($stdout);chomp($stderr);
# remove (translate) non-printable chrs
$exit =~ tr/\x80-\xFF//d;
$stderr =~ tr/\x80-\xFF//d;
$stdout =~ tr/\x80-\xFF//d;

    my $status = "exit[$exit] stderr[$stderr] stdout[$stdout]\n";
    my $result = $status;
        # Code Goes Above #
        # return results
        print "task[$cmd] status[$status] reply_to[$nick] Result[$resu
+lt]\n"; 
        my %result = ( task => $cmd, status => $status, reply_to => $n
+ick, result => $result );
        my $output = $filter->put( [ \%result ] );
        print @$output;
}
[download]

Any ideas? Did I make some dumb error in the coding or do I need some POE filter? I'm just not seeing it. Sorry if the code is ugly... its a prototype. Thanks