Use CGI::Application.

A development suggestion- code everything to work with a cli. Once the tests work, use the cli, once that works, then code the wui (web user interface) with CGI::Application. The plugins are great, it's easy to write your plugins, super useful way to organize code- into plugins. The plugins can define runmodes into your app etc.

For some reason I have an aversion to CGI::Application::Framework

Please do look at: CGI::Application::Plugins *

When I first looked at cgiapp (apparently common nick) I thought it was silly, a big hairy chunk of code that did little. I think that's the same feeling we get when we are very young and see things like beer, cars, roads- we look at the adults and think to ourselves "really? are you serious? that's important to you?"