Module mod_example

This module illustrates many of the aspects of the Apache 1.2 API and, when used, demonstrates the manner in which module callbacks are triggered by the server.

Status: Extension
Source File: mod_example.c
Module Identifier: example_module
Compatibility: Available in Apache 1.2 and later.

Summary

The files in the src/modules/example directory under the Apache distribution directory tree are provided as an example to those that wish to write modules that use the Apache API.

The main file is mod_example.c, which illustrates all the different callback mechanisms and call syntaxes. By no means does an add-on module need to include routines for all of the callbacks - quite the contrary!

The example module is an actual working module. If you link it into your server, enable the "example-handler" handler for a location, and then browse to that location, you will see a display of some of the tracing the example module did as the various callbacks were made.

Directives

Compiling the example module

To include the example module in your server, follow the steps below:

  1. Uncomment the "AddModule modules/example/mod_example" line near the bottom of the src/Configuration file. If there isn't one, add it; it should look like this:
         AddModule modules/example/mod_example.o
       
    
  2. Run the src/Configure script ("cd src; ./Configure"). This will build the Makefile for the server itself, and update the src/modules/Makefile for any additional modules you have requested from beneath that subdirectory.
  3. Make the server (run "make" in the src directory).

To add another module of your own:

  1. mkdir src/modules/mymodule
  2. cp src/modules/example/* src/modules/mymodule
  3. Modify the files in the new directory.
  4. Follow steps [1] through [3] above, with appropriate changes.

Using the mod_example Module

To activate the example module, include a block similar to the following in your srm.conf file:

   <Location /example-info>
       SetHandler example-handler
   </Location>
 

As an alternative, you can put the following into a .htaccess file and then request the file "test.example" from that location:

   AddHandler example-handler .example
 

After reloading/restarting your server, you should be able to browse to this location and see the brief display mentioned earlier.


Example directive

Syntax: Example
Default: None
Context: server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess
Override: Options
Status: Extension
Module: mod_example
Compatibility: Example is only available in Apache 1.2 and later.

The Example directive just sets a demonstration flag which the example module's content handler displays. It takes no arguments. If you browse to an URL to which the example content-handler applies, you will get a display of the routines within the module and how and in what order they were called to service the document request. The effect of this directive one can observe under the point "Example directive declared here: YES/NO".