The problem with search routines is that it's going to vary from site to site. And you need to know how your data is stored in the first place to know the most effective solution.

Two of the most common ways to do it is either (1) to use a full-fledged database like MySQL or similar; SQL langauge queries have a number of ways you can search for results, and perl is well integrated with SQL searching via the DBI interface; or (2) to use a flat file with one record per line, which allows easy development from perl , but isn't necessarily the best for searching.

There's a number of other solutions, but in nearly all cases, you want to build up the solution for yourself to ensure security of your CGI scripts.

---

Dr. Michael K. Neylon - mneylon-pm@masemware.com || "You've left the lens cap of your mind on again, Pinky" - The Brain