you seem to be user here since December 06, 2001, 12:01 GMT, but you seem still unadvised about the basics of posting to this site; and you seem to have missed the PerlMonks FAQ. Please have a look at How do I post a question effectively?. Seeking help here requests that you post all relevant information concerning your problem, of which the most requested information is the program that is causing you headache. From the error messages you've posted, I guess it's a script named imgverfn.pl.

Posting information that is already provided via a link is not requested and should not be done, whereas the link should be written as

[http://search.cpan.org/src/UNRTST/Authen-Captcha-1.023/README]

If you post the program in question, we may be able to help you; without it, there is no way.

regards,
--shmem

_($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
                              /\_¯/(q    /
----------------------------  \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."·
");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}

Some of these errors disappeared when I added the '$number_of_characters' value line.

So do that. And please post the resulting code. The code you are actually running.

You'll also want to use strict.

update: sometimes, adding use diagnostics to the top of your program helps a lot.

Thanks for your replies...I haven't been here in a longgg...time...:)

Here is the code I used from the referenced link except WITH the '$number_of_characters' var pre-defined:

#!/usr/bin/perl -w -d

use Authen::Captcha;

      # create a new object
      my $captcha = Authen::Captcha->new();

      # set the data_folder. contains flatfile db to maintain state
      $captcha->data_folder('/usr/home1/user123/public_html/folder01')
+;

      # set directory to hold publicly accessable images
      $captcha->output_folder('/usr/home1/user123/public_html/folder01
+/images');

      # I created this variable's value
      my $number_of_characters = 6;

      # create a captcha. Image filename is "$md5sum.png"
      my $md5sum = $captcha->generate_code($number_of_characters);

      # check for a valid submitted captcha
      #   $code is the submitted letter combination guess from the use
+r
      #   $md5sum is the submitted md5sum from the user (that we gave 
+them)
      my $results = $captcha->check_code($code,$md5sum);
      # $results will be one of:
      #          1 : Passed
      #          0 : Code not checked (file error)
      #         -1 : Failed: code expired
      #         -2 : Failed: invalid code (not in database)
      #         -3 : Failed: invalid code (code does not match crypt)
      ##############
[download]

Let me know if you need additional info.

Thanks.

  EDIT: changed above: '$number_of_characters = 6;' to 'my $number_of_characters = 6;'

(haven't edited a Perl script much recently either...)

Hello newbie00,

your code is a copy of the SYNOPSIS part of the manual page of Authen::Captcha.

The SYNOPSIS part of a manual page to a module is meant to give a quick overview of the way a module works. The code written therein is not meant to be copied and run verbatim.

For instance, the line

my $results = $captcha->check_code($code,$md5sum);
[download]

must be run after an image has been created, displaying a random set of characters of $number_of_characters length, it's MD5 sum has been created and a user provided $code, i.e they typed the characters displayed on the image.

Image creation and verification are two sequential processes, but they are conveniently displayed in the SYNOPSIS of the module in one block.

I advise you to read the manual page of Authen::Captcha thoroughly, formulate your needs, engage in their fulfilment and come back with some code of your own.

regards,
--shmem

_($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
                              /\_¯/(q    /
----------------------------  \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."·
");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}