Yes, I see. You can not pass a file by putting a filename in a hidden input and then telling the browser to grab the file; that would mean people could grab stuff off your computer at will. A bad thing.

Why break it down into start_import and finish_import? To present the user with information about the file he selected and allow for further decisions/input based on that before inserting the whole mess into a table.

Saving to a temp file plus some restructuring of my script's logic sounds like the solution. The initiate thanks his fellow monks and proceeds on the long path of enlightenment for perl-impaired bozos.