#!perl 

#########################################################
# This perl script will go to the oracle database, run a query, extrac
+t data and 
#        create a text (.txt) file with data information for a batch 
#        process to use.
#
#
#     October 4, 2001
#########################################################

use DBI;

# output file
$newfile = "./batch_test.txt";

# open the new .txt file
open(BATCH, ">$newfile") || die "Can't open $newfile : the batch_test 
+file. $!";

# variable with query to go against cscadmin.crs_batch_lines table
$asql = "SELECT  batch_line  FROM admin.batch_lines WHERE exe_c = 'N' 
+";
$bsql = "UPDATE admin.batch_lines SET exe_c = 'Y' WHERE exe_c = 'N' ";

# connect to oracle and extract data
my $dbh = DBI->connect("dbi:Oracle:Db001", "develop", "developer");
my $statement = $dbh->prepare($asql);
$statement ->execute();
    while ($newfile= $statement->fetchrow_array) {
               $newfile=~s/D:/\nD:/g;
                      # write to the file
               print BATCH $newfile;
               print $newfile;
     } 
$statement->finish();

# Mark batch lines in table as read          
my $statement2 = $dbh->prepare($bsql);
$statement2 ->execute();
$statement2->finish();

# close oracle connection
$dbh->disconnect();
$dbh2->disconnect();

# close new .txt file
close (BATCH);
[download]

C:\Perl\bin>perl -V
Summary of my perl5 (revision 5 version 6 subversion 1) configuration:
  Platform:
    osname=MSWin32, osvers=4.0, archname=MSWin32-x86-multi-thread
    uname=''
    config_args='undef'
    hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=undef
    usethreads=undef use5005threads=undef useithreads=define usemultip
+licity=def
ine
    useperlio=undef d_sfio=undef uselargefiles=undef usesocks=undef
    use64bitint=undef use64bitall=undef uselongdouble=undef
  Compiler:
    cc='cl', ccflags ='-nologo -O1 -MD -DNDEBUG -DWIN32 -D_CONSOLE -DN
+O_STRICT -
DHAVE_DES_FCRYPT  -DPERL_IMPLICIT_CONTEXT -DPERL_IMPLICIT_SYS -DPERL_M
+SVCRT_READ
FIX',
    optimize='-O1 -MD -DNDEBUG',
    cppflags='-DWIN32'
    ccversion='', gccversion='', gccosandvers=''
    intsize=4, longsize=4, ptrsize=4, doublesize=8, byteorder=1234
    d_longlong=undef, longlongsize=8, d_longdbl=define, longdblsize=10
    ivtype='long', ivsize=4, nvtype='double', nvsize=8, Off_t='off_t',
+ lseeksize
=4
    alignbytes=8, usemymalloc=n, prototype=define
  Linker and Libraries:
    ld='link', ldflags ='-nologo -nodefaultlib -release  -libpath:"C:\
+Perl\lib\C
ORE"  -machine:x86'
    libpth="C:\Perl\lib\CORE"
    libs=  oldnames.lib kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool.lib
+  comdlg32
.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib  netapi32.lib uui
+d.lib wsoc
k32.lib mpr.lib winmm.lib  version.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib msvcrt.
+lib
    perllibs=  oldnames.lib kernel32.lib user32.lib gdi32.lib winspool
+.lib  comd
lg32.lib advapi32.lib shell32.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib  netapi32.lib
+ uuid.lib
wsock32.lib mpr.lib winmm.lib  version.lib odbc32.lib odbccp32.lib msv
+crt.lib
    libc=msvcrt.lib, so=dll, useshrplib=yes, libperl=perl56.lib
  Dynamic Linking:
    dlsrc=dl_win32.xs, dlext=dll, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags=' '
    cccdlflags=' ', lddlflags='-dll -nologo -nodefaultlib -release  -l
+ibpath:"C:
\Perl\lib\CORE"  -machine:x86'


Characteristics of this binary (from libperl):
  Compile-time options: MULTIPLICITY USE_ITHREADS PERL_IMPLICIT_CONTEX
+T PERL_IMP
LICIT_SYS
  Locally applied patches:
        ActivePerl Build 629
  Built under MSWin32
  Compiled at Aug 20 2001 12:27:04
  @INC:
    C:/Perl/lib
    C:/Perl/site/lib
    .
[download]

Whoa a minute! You wrote:

Case III: Windows 2000 server, v5.6.1 built for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread ,I have a simple "hello world" type of file (test.pl) and it shows my hello message. I get the same download DBI 1.2 and then try to run my script (code will soon follow) and I get this error here and not on the first two cases.: DBD::Oracle::db prepare failed: ORA-00942: table or view does not exist (DBD ERR OR: OCIStmtExecute/Describe) at C:\Perl\connect_2.pl line 28. Can't call method "execute" on an undefined value at C:\Perl\connect_2.pl line 2 9.

Sounds like you're not connecting to the correct database, hence the invalid tables or views. So you can't create a statement handle.

Do you have an updated tnsnames.ora file installed on that machine? Otherwise it won't know where the database is on the network.