# modules for easier debugging and
# better coding standards
use warnings;
use diagnostics;
use strict;

##</code><code>##

# URL that returns list of YBX categories
my $category_list_http = qw !http://api.yellowbrix.com/api/?service=category_list&method=xml&id=verizon&pass­word=xxxxxx!;

##</code><code>##

my $url = qq!http://api.yellowbrix.com/api/?!;
my $common = qq!method=xml&id=verizon&pass­word=xxxxxx;!

# URL that returns list of YBX categories
my $category_list_http = $url . qq!service=category_list&$common!;

# URL to xml file on yellowbrix server. CATEGORY must be provided
my $category_http_start = $url . qq!service=headlines&$common&category=!;

my $category_http_end = qw !&enabletext=1!;

# URL to weather on yellowbrix server. weather query must be appended.
my $weather_http = $url . qq!service=weather&$common&query=!;

##</code><code>##

# mySQL escape character
my $sql_escape_char = '\\';

...

$data{pub_source} =~ s/(')/$sql_escape_char'/gs;
$data{headline} =~ s/(')/$sql_escape_char'/gs;
$data{summary} =~ s/(')/$sql_escape_char'/gs;

##</code><code>##

sqlStatement ('INSERT articles ('.
                                'story_id,'.
                                'arrival_date,'.
                                'display_date,'.
                                'category,'.
                                'pub_source,'.
                                'xml_url,'.
                                'ybh_url,'.
                                'img_url,'.
                                'headline,'.
                                'summary,'.
                                'summary_url'.
                                ') VALUES ('.
                        "'$article_data{story_id}',".
                        "'$article_data{arrival_date}',".
                        "'$article_data{display_date}',".
                        "'$article_data{category}',".
                        "'$article_data{pub_source}',".
                        "'$article_data{xml_url}',".
                        "'$article_data{ybh_url}',".
                        "'$article_data{img_url}',".
                        "'$article_data{headline}',".
                        "'$article_data{summary}',".
                        "'$article_data{summary_url}'".
                        ')');

##</code><code>##

$article_data{summary_url} = "some stuff \'); drop table articles;";

##</code><code>##

sqlConnectToDB;
sqlStatement ("TRUNCATE TABLE articles");

....

# retrieve xml file with all articles
my $headline_xml = getHTTPAddress($category_http_start.uri_escape($category_name).$category_http_end);