I've a template (simplified to reduce clutter) that is used for two slightly different html outputs. Basically, in one output, a list of school names is included while in another, it's not. The relevant template and code are as follows:

Updated

# the template named generic.tt

<tr><th align="center" colspan="2"><tmpl_var name=des></th>
<tr><td><tmpl_var escape=html name=label></td><td><input type="text" n
+ame="<tmpl_var escape=html name=field>" size="<tmpl_var escape=html n
+ame=value>"></td></tr>
<tmpl_if name=if_more>
<select name="school_id"><option selected value="1"><option selected v
+alue="0">Select<tmpl_loop name=options>
<option value="<tmpl_var name=school_id>"><tmpl_var escape=html name=s
+chool></option></tmpl_loop>
</select></td></tr>
</tmpl_if>
<tr><td align="center" colspan="2"><input type="submit" name="action" 
+value="<tmpl_var escape=html name=submit>"></td></td>

# template output 1
# prints school names as well
# school names are stored in @options
# this part works

# @options already set prior to setting up the template params
my %hash;

%hash (
    des => 'Form 1',
    # field label
    label => 'Label 1',
    # name of field
    field => 'field1',
    # size of text input field
    value => '5',
    submit => 'submit',

    if_more => 'true',
    # list of schools
    options => \@options,
);
# call generate to output the template
generate(\%hash);

# template output 2
# don't print school names

%hash (
   des => 'Form 2',
   # field label
   label => 'Label 2',
   # name of field
   field => 'field2',
   # size of text input field
   value => '10',
   submit => 'submit',

  if_more => 0,
);

generate(\%hash);

sub generate {
  my $hashref = shift;
  my $template = HTML::Template -> new(filename => "$tmpldir/generic.t
+t");
  $template ->param(
     des => $hashref->{'des'},
     form => $hashref->{'form'},
     action => $hashref->{'action'},
     label => $hashref->{'label'},
     field => $hashref->{'field'},
     value => $hashref->{'value'},
     submit => 'submit',
     if_more => $hashref->{'if_more'},

     options => $hashref->{'options'},
   );
   print $template->output;
}
[download]

With the second template output, I get this error HTML::Template::param() : attempt to set parameter 'options' with a scalar - parameter is not a TMPL_VAR! at test.pl line 117

# template output 2 (changed)
# don't print school names

my @options = ();

%hash (
   des => 'Form 2',
   # field label
   label => 'Label 2',
   # name of field
   field => 'field2',
   # size of text input field
   value => '10',
   submit => 'submit',
   options => \@options,

  if_more => 0,
);
[download]

What's the right way to do it?

Thanks in anticipation :)