use CGI;      # you already have this line
$q = new CGI; # and one like this to I suppose
my $var = "some text from a file";
my $varesc = $q->escapeHTML($var);
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--
$you = new YOU;
honk() if $you->love(perl)

use CGI;
my $q = new CGI;
my $value = '<img src="/someimg.gif">';
print   $q->start_html(),
        $q->start_form(), 
        $q->textfield(  -name=>'test',
                    -value=>$value),              
    $q->end_form,
    $q->end_html;
[download]