$sqlCount = "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $user_data_db_name WHERE USER_NAME='$form_values{'USER_NAME'}'"; $sth = $dbh->prepare($sqlCount) || die "Cannot prepare: " . $dbh->errstr(); $sth->execute() or die "Cannot execute: " . $sth->errstr(); my $occurences = $sth->fetchrow_arrayref->[0];