if ($edate eq "$date")

#the array works fine when doing this...
{
@Names = (1,2,3);

#but does not work the below way even though $times is pulled from a file and it is pulling the same string as above.
{
@Names = ($times);

print "<select>\n";
foreach (@Names) {

print  "<option>$_</option>$_\n";
}
print "</select>\n";

}
}