This program only asks for 3 columns to display, via check boxes. These settings are not saved to a user in another database table - I left that work for you.

Hope this helps,
Jeff

#################################################
# Comments:
# This CGI program iniatally displays an HTML
# form with 3 check boxes.  When the user presses
# the SUBMIT button, the program is called again,
# this time the buttons are parsed if any one of
# them were selected.  The corresponding columns
# of a database table are then retrieved and
# displayed inside an HTML table.
#################################################

use strict;
use DBI;
use CGI qw(:standard);

print header;

# you can replace this predicate with code that
# looks for a text box param named 'user'
# once you get the value, you can lookup their
# setting in the appropriate table - I suggest
# just simply saving a comma joined string of
# the column names, such as 'A, B, C' - unless
# you are against breaking the 1st normal rule
if (my @cols = param('cols')) {

   &printForm;

   # substitute your host, user, and password
   my ($host,$user,$pass) = qw(host user pass);

   my $conn = DBI->connect("DBI:mysql:mysql:$host", $user, $pass)
      or print "$0: Can't connect to mysql\n";

   # construct the SQL code to select only those rows user selected
   my $sql = "SELECT " . join(', ', @cols) . " FROM foo.bar";

   my $stmt = $conn->selectall_arrayref($sql)
      or print "Query Failed: ", $conn->errstr, "\n";

   # print table beginning tags and column names row
   print "<table border=1>";
   print "<tr>";
   foreach (@cols) {
      print "<th>$_</th>";
   }
   print "</tr>";
 
   # print the rows of returned data
   foreach my $row (@$stmt) {
      print "<tr>";
      print map {
         $_ = ($_ eq '')
            ? "<td>\&nbsp\;</td>"
            : "<td>$_</td>"
         } @{$row};
      print "</tr>";
   }
   print "</table>";

   $conn->disconnect;
}
else {
   &printForm;
}

sub printForm() {

   print <<_FORM_;
   <HR>
   @{[startform('POST',script_name)]}
   <P>
   Selct Columns:
   @{[checkbox_group(-name=>'cols', -values= ['A','B','C'])]}<P>
   @{[submit('Get Data')]}<P>
   @{[endform]}<P>
   <HR>
_FORM_
}
[download]

Be warned that this code is potentially insecure. A malicious user could tamper with the 'cols' form variable and inject their own SQL into your database call(s).

If so you can roll your own with CGI and DBI or if you are really only displaying database tables you might want to look at DBIx::HTMLinterface for some help.

Alternatively specify your problem a bit more and we'll see if we can be more specific!