OK I am beyond confused.

Changed my code as follows:

    $sqlStr =  "select createwbparserun( '$directory' , '$filename'  )
+ ";
    print $sqlStr.  "\n" ;
    my $sth = $db_in->prepare( $sqlStr );
    $sth->execute();
    
    my $aryRef = $sth->fetchall_arrayref([0]);
    my @a =  @$aryRef;
    print "Reference: $aryRef\n";
    print "Dereferenced: @a\n";
       
    
    ##print  @$ary;
    print Dumper @a;
    $wb_runkey = $a[0];
        
    print "WORKBOOK run key: " . $wb_runkey . "\n" ;
    
die;
[download]

and got the following:

select createwbparserun( 'C:/dev/HN_optimum/' , 'FM Mk 14 - 60M200007_
+DB200609.xls'  )
Reference: ARRAY(0x351fed8)
Dereferenced: ARRAY(0xcf786a0)
$VAR1 = [
          '48'
        ];
WORKBOOK run key: ARRAY(0xcf786a0)
Died at parseExcelWB.pl line 197.
[download]

the DBI documentation says, fetchall_arrayref returns a reference to an array that contains one reference per row. Does this mean I have to de-reference again?? Do not know how to do that.

Best

KD