So I'm trying to figure out the best approach, when creating the object TABLE, should I put the database handler in as one of it's attributes in the new method call, and use that or everytime I use a method/sub routine of TABLE should I pass in the database handle as a parameter?

I usually create a module that does the database connections and a few other housekeeping chores and then I create modules that are derivitaves of that one. Example:

package dbObject;

my is_connected=0;  # important...
my $dbh=undef;

sub connect {
   | connection foo here...
}

sub prepare { 
   my ($self,$sql) = @_; 
   if ( ! is_connected) 
          $self->connect;
   $self->{sth} = $dbh->prepare(....);
}
1;

package myTable;
use vars qw / @ISA /;
use dbObject;

@ISA = qw/ dbObject /;

   #etc.

1;
[download]

and I have variations on that theme that I use. Lately rather than use DBI for my database layer I use Class::DBI::Loader which further encapulates the databse layer for me using a similar method where I have a "parent" class instantiate the loader and the "child" classes inherit it from there. In fact I'm working on a major project now that uses that methodology and other than some interesting bugs I've discovered in the way Class::DBI::Loader reacts to certain table names I've not had any problems.

Hope this helps...

UPDATE:Special thanks to GrandFather for pointing out my fat-fingering