my $max_tries = 5;

foreach $item (@array) {
   my $tries = 0;
   while(some_test($item) and $tries++ < $max_tries) {
      print "Failure: $item, trying again after sleep\n";
      sleep 10;
   }

   if( $tries == $max_tries){
      die "Failed $tries times, aborting";
   }else{
      print "Success: $item\n";
   }
}
[download]

Personally, I don't like having to perform the same test ($tries == $max_tries) twice.

my $max_tries = 5;

foreach $item (@array) {
   my $tries = 0;
   while (!some_test($item)) {
      die "Failed $tries times, aborting"
         if ++$tries == $max_tries;
      print "Failure: $item, trying again after sleep\n";
      sleep 10;
   }

   print "Success: $item\n";
}
[download]

Why would the result be different the second time?

Maybe some_test isn't a pure function—say, it tests availability of a certain resource on the network?

<ot>

I personally believe I may quote one of my .sig's:

>> try sleeping on it, that usually works.
> I think you're right. Usually it works every time. ;-)
I don't know about that.
I tried sleeping on a big big problem and we're now divorsed.
- "Tralfaz" in sci.math, "Re: About a big big problem" (edited)
[download]

(As code because it's preformatted text.)

</ot>

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