#!/usr/bin/perl

   use DBI;
   
   $|=1;
   
   $dsn = "DBI:mysql:mydatabase;localhost";
           $dbh = DBI->connect($dsn, 'username', 'password');
   
   if ( !defined $dbh ) {
     exit;
   }
   
   # use the four lines below if the query results
   # in many rows or if you get 'out of memory' errors
   
   #$SQL_QUERY="SET SQL_BIG_TABLES=1";
   #  $cursor = $dbh->prepare( "$SQL_QUERY" );
   #  $cursor->execute;
   #  $cursor->finish;
   
   $SQL_QUERY=<<__CURSOR_1__;
      select col_1, col_2, col_3, col_4
        from table_1
       where table_1.col_1 = 'X'
        order by col_2
__CURSOR_1__
   
   $cursor = $dbh->prepare( "$SQL_QUERY" );
   $cursor->execute;                     
   
   while ( @row = $cursor->fetchrow ) {
      print "@row\n";
   }
     $cursor->finish;
   
     $dbh->disconnect;