my  $from = shift || '';
my  $select = shift || '';
my  $where = shift || '';
....
$sql.="FROM $where ";
$sql.="WHERE $other ";
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Are you sure this is your code? It reads as though you are creating sql with a from containing the where clause. Regardless, it's messy. Bobby-tables.com has hints on placeholders/bind variables and the use of quote_identifier for identifiers etc. As a side note, what do you have against printing $!? previously among others.