in reply to how did this module get into CPAN ?!
Well, using $a and $b as variable names was never considered the acme of elegance either.
CountZero
A program should be light and agile, its subroutines connected like a string of pearls. The spirit and intent of the program should be retained throughout. There should be neither too little or too much, neither needless loops nor useless variables, neither lack of structure nor overwhelming rigidity." - The Tao of Programming, 4.1 - Geoffrey James
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Seekers of Perl Wisdom