Both of those are reasonable approaches, though I found that using eval gave me a bit more control. With an eval, you can make a case-by-case decision to continue or really die. Some HTML::Template errors, particularly complaints about parameters, are safe to continue past when you're debugging.

Ah, I see... though I would probably be inclined to zero HTML::Template's die_on_bad_params if I just wanted to continue past non-fatal errors while debugging.

I guess as a matter of principle I tend to prefer handling the die-now-or-let-it-slip logic on a more global level rather than sprinkling the checking throughout the code. Then I can toggle it on or off globally, define different handlers for debug vs. production behavior in one place, and not have to worry about remembering anything extra when I'm coding the core page-generation logic.

        $perlmonks{seattlejohn} = 'John Clyman';