DATA is special in that it remains open if your script has an __END__ token or your module has a __DATA__ token. It isn't so special that you can't use it like a regular file handle if you want to.

The above code should work unaltered (as others have already reported).

You are right! Shame on me! I would have sworn that I saw the script show the behaviour described in the question when using DATA. I guess it's a case where I convinced myself so much that this was the problem that I failed to notice an entire screen worth of <tr>'s and <tr>'s. Pretty impressive I'd say! And I guess I'll have to check things twice from now on!

By the way, this is the beauty of Perl Monks, if a bad advice is given it is promptly corrected (without the flames you get on usenet!). Thanks.