I think what you're seeing is the evolution of improving CGI scripts. Before php was big, few thought of separating code and content (at least, the few that most CGI programmers payed attention to), and thus we see lots of HTML embedded in perl (including here documents and the CGI functions). PHP came along, which pushed the other direction, the inclusion of code into the HTML. Perl answered with tools like embedded perl and such, but many still saw this as a mess. Thus the development of all the templating libraries (HTML::Template, TT2, etc), which given the previous two solutions, is the most apparent way to do it best.

I wouldn't necessarily blame the original programmers, as CGI programming techniques have developed over the years, and templating has only been 'in' for the last few years. However, if your task is to determine what needs to be done, you need to strongly push that templating will make the code easier to maintain and expand in the future.

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