HELLO WORLD :)
I use basic perl and am famliar with text files, wish to avoid relational DB stuff.

I need to be able to add, edit and delete records (lines) using a
script on one server -and perform this duty on another server.

basically i am looking for a string(s) that allows me to login to said
server, open the file make the changes to the file using a record
number.

can it be done via http? that is my preference.

please seek clarification if you need it before answering. I would
prefer not having to use a rare perl module - but if I have to ...
that's ok.

If you arrange a GGI script on the webserver to make the edit you
could drive that script with a perl client.  The CGI could also be in
perl if you wished.

Other simple options are to use SSH, or to use your own simple
protocol over sockets - passing details of which file and record to
change in what way.

If the server doing these edits could be contacted by someone not
supposed to do them there will need to be some authorisation scheme.

SSH sounds like a possibility (know little about it)

or talking to another cgi script on the server.

the simpler the better :)