What's your goal here? Are you trying to get a counter running, or are you trying to learn Perl?

If you're trying to get a counter running, then I would suggest that you not reinvent the wheel and just use a canned script.

If you're trying to learn Perl, then doing it through CGI is not the way to do it. merlyn's 3rd edition of Learning Perl just came out, and is the canonical text for learning our beloved language.

It seems that you're just trying to throw things together without really learning Perl, and expecting us to clean up your mess. People who clean up things like that are called "consultants", and there are any number of them here at the Monastery who would be glad to send you a rate card.

xoxo,
Andy
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<megaphone> Throw down the gun and tiara and come out of the float! </megaphone>