Writing Apache Modules with Perl and C: The Apache API and mod_perl

by Doug MacEachern and Lincoln Stein

Book Overview

Apache is the most popular web server on the Internet because it is free, reliable, and extensible. The availability of the source code and the modular design of Apache makes it possible to extend web server functionality through the Apache API.For the most part, however, the Apache API has only been available to C programmers, and requires rebuilding the Apache server from source. mod_perl, the popular Apache module used primarily for enhanced...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156592567X
• ISBN13: 9781565925670
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 750 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A web programming marvel

I once read that you could not consider yourself a Unix Wizard until you had hand written a SendMail configure script once, and that no sane person ever did it twice.The first part of that truism can perhaps be said of Web Wizards and Apache modules. Fortunately Apache modules are a little easier to write than Sendmail configurations and this book makes it easier still. Let's not mince words. Perl scripts and other CGI software can quickly become performance bottlenecks on any server, no matter the size of your hardware. The most powerful way of fixing this is to fold a fair amount of that programming inside the server where the overhead of loading interpreters, libraries and code is already taken care of, not to mention you find yourself with much more power and control over the dialogue between server and browser.Unfortunately writing to an API as large and complex as that in Apache is not always easy. MacEachern and Stein go to a great deal of trouble and exert a fair degree of skill in breaking the learning down into manageable chunks and explaining it all with a large number of examples.This was the first book I read that really made me understand the process going on, both between the two pieces of software and inside Apache, when a page is requested. From there the book goes on to give you a marvellous understanding of how to write a module in Perl that fits into that process. Finally the last three chapters are excellent API reference guides, one on the Perl API and two on the C API, and an excellent index (which indexes every function in the API's as well as key concepts) make this a superb tool when you get down to writing.The book does not cover using C in any where near as much depth, but the vital conceptual understanding required and explained in the Perl chapters means that once you have written a module in Perl I don't believe you will find it a problem to do it in C. I have to say though, as a C programmer I am yet to do it, I get so much performance out of a module in Perl I've yet to find the need.I read this book before starting my first module and I have now written three. I would never have even contemplated the task before reading this volume. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a full understanding of writing software for the web and anyone who wants a quantum leap in the performance of their web software. You will need some fair Perl skills and preferably written a few CGI scripts as this book does not cover the language skills required at all.

Great book!

Anybody who is interested in writing apache modules, MUST buy this book...Its very straight forward, focuses only on things that are related to writing modules in both Perl and C, and has very useful functions index, you can look up a function or a constant, the book explains all methods and gives examples on how to use tricky ones...I mostly use it for my C modules, and found very easy example of parsing ARGs of query strings, which is to my surprise not in apache lib...I am impressed.

Excellent book

Doug and Lincoln's book is outstanding. I had no idea Apache could do so much. The book is also wonderful simply for the perl parts of the examples. The way the code is written is illuminating for many non modperl related programming issues.

Want to get the most out of Apache? BUY THIS BOOK!

This is a tech book at its best. Lincoln & Doug have done a great job with module examples to produce a book with quick answers when you're in a jam & indepth coverage when you really need to know the ins and outs of Apache Modules.... It is to Apache Modules what the Bat book is to Sendmail.

The essence of O'Reilly

_Writing Apache Modules_ is quintessential O'Reilly. They have taken an arcane but potentially useful topic and produced a readable, entertaining, complete, and authoritative guide to it. The book's 700 pages are nearly 3/4 tutorial, which walks you through the writing of dozens of Apache modules, mostly in Perl. (C is covered in less detail, but it's all there.) You'll learn how to write modules for every Apache request stage. The Perl code is technically excellent and well-formatted, and they don't shy away from using useful CPAN modules. Database examples use the free and popular MySQL. No matter what kind of Apache module you're thinking about writing, this book will surely have an example that will get you started, and the reference section will keep you going. I have read literally dozens of O'Reilly books, and this is among the very best they've ever done.