I'm wondering what's the best way to go about putting out some quite complex HTML pages from SQL selects.

It's all working, but it's working like this: 

<pseudocode>


output headers;
output top of page;
print '<ul>';
while fetchrow_hashref{
  print '<li> stuff </li>';
}
print '</ul>';


</pseudocode>

[download]

So would it be better to do this: 

<pseudocode>


output headers;
output top of page;
$list = '<ul>';
while fetchrow_hashref{
  $list .= '<li> stuff </li>';
}
$list .=  '</ul>';
print $list;

</pseudocode>

[download]

That is, to assemble big-ass string variables and dump them in their entirety in one print statement?

And I know what you're going to say, I should use HTML::Template. I will -- but the question above prompts me to say that using HTML::Template, you're pretty much only doing that second version i.e. all the page assembly happens, then the print, in HTML::Template -- right?

If I'm conscious of the users sitting looking at a blank page for a while, my instinct is to unbuffer output and do it more like the while() version above.

That way they get a sense of progress, even if it's slow.

Is the efficiency of 'assemble, then print' so much greater than 'print while'?

I'd be interested in your thoughts. 


($_='kkvvttuubbooppuuiiffssqqffssmmiibbddllffss')
 =~y~b-v~a-z~s;                             print

[download]

In reply to Output HTML while(), or add to string while(), then output? by Cody Pendant

Title:
Use:  <p> text here (a paragraph) </p>
and:  <code> code here </code>
to format your post, it's "PerlMonks-approved HTML":


  • Posts are HTML formatted. Put <p> </p> tags around your paragraphs. Put <code> </code> tags around your code and data!
  • Titles consisting of a single word are discouraged, and in most cases are disallowed outright.
  • Read Where should I post X? if you're not absolutely sure you're posting in the right place.
  • Please read these before you post! —
  • Posts may use any of the Perl Monks Approved HTML tags:
    a, abbr, b, big, blockquote, br, caption, center, col, colgroup, dd, del, details, div, dl, dt, em, font, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, hr, i, ins, li, ol, p, pre, readmore, small, span, spoiler, strike, strong, sub, summary, sup, table, tbody, td, tfoot, th, thead, tr, tt, u, ul, wbr
  • You may need to use entities for some characters, as follows. (Exception: Within code tags, you can put the characters literally.)
            For:     Use:
    & &amp;
    < &lt;
    > &gt;
    [ &#91;
    ] &#93;
  • Link using PerlMonks shortcuts! What shortcuts can I use for linking?
  • See Writeup Formatting Tips and other pages linked from there for more info.