print header;
... etc ...

# Print a div box with a span element to fill in with later JavaScript commands.
#
print "<div id=\"Progress\" class=\"box_div\"> " .
          "   <i>Progress on things </i> : " .
          "   <span id=\"meter\"></span> " .
          "</div>\n";
...
# Loop the loop
#
my $max_things  = scalar (@things);
my $thing_index = 0;
foreach my $thing (@things) {
   $thing_index++;
...
   # Print the current thing into the span meter.
   #
   print <<_EOT_;
<script language=JavaScript type=text/javascript><!--
    document.getElementById('meter').innerHTML ='$thing_index of $max_things';
//--></script>
_EOT_

   # Do the things ...
   ...
   if ($status eq "excellent") {

      # Add a small div box with the thing and a tick 
      # image to the main div box - its all floated 
      # left so will fill up nicely.
      #
      print <<_EOT_;
<script language=JavaScript type=text/javascript><!--
    document.getElementById('Progress').innerHTML+='<div class=\"div_ok\">Thing $thing_index is excellent<img src=/img/tick.png width=\"10\" height=\"10\
"></div>';                              
//--></script>                          
_EOT_   

   } else {

<script language=JavaScript type=text/javascript><!--
    document.getElementById('Progress').innerHTML+='<div class=\"div_notok\">Thing $thing_index is v. bad<img src=/img/cross.png width=\"10\" height=\"10\
"></div>';                              
//--></script>                          
_EOT_   

   } # endif excellent

} # end foreach thing