$choices = ",1,2,3,4,5,6,"; ##

##

$data{$user_type}{$user_company}{$user_lname}{'attribute'}

##

##

$data{$user_type}{$user_company$}{$user_lname}{'choice_list'} = [ @split_list ];

##

##

$choices = ",1,2,3,4,5,6,";

print "Perl script output - 
choices list before regex = $choices\n";
#string cleanup
$choices =~ s/^,//;
$choices =~ s/,$//;
print "
choices list after regex = $choices\n";
@split_list = split(/,+/, $choices);
# debugging output to check split
for $i (0 .. $#pub_list) {
    print "
choice $i = $pub_list[$i]\n";
}

$data{$user_type}{$user_company$}{$user_lname}{'choice_list'} = [ @split_list ];

$vars = {
	data => \%data,
};
$template->process($template_file, $vars);

##

##

Template output - 
Choices are:

[% FOREACH type IN data.keys.sort %]
     [% FOREACH company IN data.$type.keys.sort %]
          [% FOREACH name IN data.$type.$company.keys.sort %]
               [% FOREACH choice IN data.$type.$company.$name.choice_list %]
                    [% data.$type.$company.$name.choice_list.$choice %]

               [% END %]
          [% END %]
     [% END %]
[% END %]

##

##

Perl script output - 

choices list before regex = ,1,2,3,4,5,6,

choices list after regex = 1,2,3,4,5,6

choice 0 = 1 

choice 1 = 2 

choice 2 = 3 

choice 3 = 4 

choice 4 = 5 

choice 5 = 6 
Template output - 

Choices are:

2

3

4

5

6