CGI.pm defines general HTML shortcut methods for most, if not all of the HTML 3 and HTML 4 tags. HTML shortcuts are named after a single HTML element and return a fragment of HTML text that you can then print or manipulate as you like. Each shortcut returns a fragment of HTML code that you can append to a string, save to a file, or, most commonly, print out so that it displays in the browser window.
...
:standard
Import ``standard'' features, 'html2', 'html3', 'html4', 'form' and 'cgi'.

>perl -MCGI=:standard -e die+br
<br /> at -e line 1.
>
[download]

Or maybe just because it works, or because it would be more efficient than the method ...

MJD says you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo! I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6x+5.8x. I take requests. ** The Third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.

>perl -MCGI=:standard -e die+br

Oops. I forgot about the automatically generated subs. You're right: br() does exist.

Juerd
- http://juerd.nl/
- spamcollector_perlmonks@juerd.nl (do not use).

Hi Podmaster,
I'm starting out with my first 'proper' use of CGI.pm today (rather than 'winging it' like I have done in the past. This means I'm sitting down with Dr Stein's book and being disciplined about what I use in the script. Sometimes in the heat of trying to get the script finished, that can be difficult:)

Well, I was browsing the book and in the middle of Listing 3.1 which can be found here around line 70 are the following lines:

print <<END;
<hr>
<a href="../../source.html">Code examples</a></address>
END
[download]


Now he does use hr, elsewhere in the script, but having recently read your comments in this post I thought I'd point it out to you, and enquire if this is an inconsistency in the script, or if there's a reason for it.

Also, if you have a moment, when functions are written hr() or br(), of what use are the parentheses in this case (perhaps colour could be assigned to horizontal rule?). I'd be interested if you could let me know.

Thanks

Wow, books ;)

I can't begin to speculate on why Stein does what he does, but it appears he uses heredocs for the bits that are static.

Most of sulfericacid's use of CGI.pm's html generating functions doesn't involve any dynamic data, so he might as well use the functions once, and then write

print <<'SUBMITFORM';
<form method="post" action="?" enctype="multipart/form-data">
<table><tr><td>File: </td>
<td><input type="file" name="upload"  size="50" maxlength="80" /></td>
+</tr>
<tr><td /> <td><input type="submit" name="button" value="submit" /></t
+d></tr></table>
<div></div></form><hr />

SUBMITFORM
[download]

As for functions being written as hr() or br(), there are some implications (perlsub)

C:\>perl -Mstrict -MCGI -we"print hr"
Unquoted string "hr" may clash with future reserved word at -e line 1.
Name "main::hr" used only once: possible typo at -e line 1.
print() on unopened filehandle hr at -e line 1.

C:\>perl -Mstrict -MCGI -we"print hr()"
Undefined subroutine &main::hr called at -e line 1.

C:\>perl -Mstrict -MCGI=hr -we"print hr()"
<hr />
C:\>perl -Mstrict -MCGI=hr -we"print hr"
<hr />
C:\>
[download]

but to me it's all the same.

MJD says you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo! I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6x+5.8x. I take requests. ** The Third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.