print "<table>\n";
foreach $item (@items_list) {
     print "<tr><td>";
     if ($user_type eq 'admin' || $user_type eq 'staff') { 
          print "<a href='db_script.pl?item=$item&action=show_details'>";
     }
     print $item;
     if ($user_type eq 'admin' || $user_type eq 'staff') {
          print "</a>";
     }
     print "</td></tr>\n";
}
print "</table>\n";


##</code><code>##

use DBI;
use Template;

# a little extra shown for cliarity - first get user type
$sql = "SELECT user_type FROM usersTable WHERE (username = $user_name);
$sth = $dbh->prepare($sql) or die("Could not prepare!" . $dbh->errstr);
$sth->execute() or die("Could not execute!" . $dbh->errstr);
$user_type = $sth->fetchrow_array();
$sth->finish;

# get the attributes of the item ids being requested, in this example, corresponding to all items with attribute x = y
$sql = "SELECT item_id, att_2, att_3....att_n FROM theTable WHERE (att_x = 'y');
$sth = $dbh->prepare($sql) or die("Could not prepare!" . $dbh->errstr);
$sth->execute() or die("Could not execute!" . $dbh->errstr);

# build a data structure to store them 
while ($item_id, $att_2, $att_3....$att_n) = $sth->fetchrow_array()) {
     $data{$item_id} = {
          att_2 => $att_2,
          att_3 => $att_3,
.....
          att_n => $att_n
     }
}
$sth->finish;

#user TT to output the results
$template_file = "my_template.htm";

# this passes the whole data hash to the template
$vars = {
     user_type => $user_type,
     data => \%data
}

$template->process($template_file, $vars) || die "Template process failed: ", $template->error(), "\n";


##</code><code>##

#insert appropriate toolbars depending on user type
[% IF user_type == 'admin' %]
	[% INCLUDE admin_function_buttons %]
[% ELSIF user_type == 'staff' %]
	[% INCLUDE staff_function_buttons %]
[% ELSE %]
	[% INCLUDE client_function_buttons %]
[% END %]

<table class="datatable">
#loop through data hash
[% FOREACH item_id IN data.keys.sort %]
     <tr>
     <td>
     #insert links to functions on items attributes depending on user type
     [% IF user_type == 'admin' || user_type == 'staff' %] 
          <a href='db_script.pl?item=[% data.$item_id.att_1 %]&action=show_details'>
     [% END %]
     data.$item_id.att_1
     [% IF user_type == 'admin' || user_type == 'staff' %] 
          <a>
     [% END %]</td>
     <td>[% data.$item_id.att_2 %]</td>
     <td>[% data.$item_id.att_3 %]
          # display messages depending on condition and user type
          [% IF data.$item_id.att_3 >= 100 && user_type == 'staff'%]High stock - move these suckers!![% END %]
     </td>
.....
     <td>[% data.$item_id.att_N %]</td>
     </tr>
[% END %]
</table>