This is often a quoting issue. For example, your query may look like this: 
INSERT member (last, first)
VALUES(NULL, "chromatic");

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and your script like this: 
$last = "NULL";
$first = "chromatic";
$query = 
qq {
    INSERT member (last, first)
    VALUES ($last, $first)
};
$rows = $dbh->do($query);

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Printing your $query would reveal that $last and $first are not being quoted.

The solution is to use something like this: 

$last = $dbh->quote("NULL");
$first = $dbh->quote("chromatic");

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or this: 
$query = 
qq {
    INSERT member (last, first)
    VALUES (?, ?)
};
$rows = $dbh->do($query, undef, $last, $first);

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Originally posted as a Categorized Question.

In reply to Why does my query work on the command line, but fail in my browser? by chromatic

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