package Apache::Application::Magic ;
$VERSION = 1.21 ;
use strict ;
# This file uses the "Perlish" coding style
# please read http://perl.4pro.net/perlish_coding_style.html

; use base 'CGI::Application::Magic'
; use base 'Apache::Application::Plus'
     
; sub new_object
   { my ($c, $r) = @_
   ; my ( $RM
        , $path
        , $sfx
        )
        = $c->_split_filename($r)
   ; $c->new( tm_path     => $path
            , runmode     => $RM
            , tm_suffix   => $sfx
            , request     => $r
            )
   }

; 1

__END__

=pod

=head1 NAME

Apache::Application::Magic - Apache/mod_perl integration for CGI::Application::Magic

=head1 VERSION 1.21

Included in CGI-Application-Plus 1.21 distribution.

The latest versions changes are reported in the F<Changes> file in this distribution.

The distribution includes:

=over

=item * CGI::Application::Plus

CGI::Application rewriting with several pluses

=item * Apache::Application::Plus

Apache/mod_perl integration for CGI::Application::Plus

=item * CGI::Application::Magic

Template based framework for CGI applications

=item * Apache::Application::Magic

Apache/mod_perl integration for CGI::Application::Magic

=item * CGI::Application::CheckRM

Checks run modes using Data::FormValidator

=back

=head1 INSTALLATION

=over

=item Prerequisites

    Apache/mod_perl 1 or 2
    Perl version    >= 5.6.1
    OOTools         >= 1.6
    Template::Magic >= 1.0

=item CPAN

    perl -MCPAN -e 'install CGI::Application::Plus'

If you want to install also all the prerequisites to use C<CGI::Application::Magic>), all in one easy step:

    perl -MCPAN -e 'install Bundle::Application::Magic'

=item Standard installation

From the directory where this file is located, type:

    perl Makefile.PL
    make
    make test
    make install

=back

=head1 SYNOPSIS

   # use instead of CGI::Application::Magic
   use base 'Apache::Application::Magic';
   
   # direct interaction with the Apache request object
   $r = $self->request ;
   %headers = $r->headers_in ;
   
   # Perl Side Include
   # instead of using this link
   http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/appScript.pl?rm=aMtFile
   
   # you can use this
   http://www.yourdomain.com/aMtFile.mhtml

=head1 DESCRIPTION

This module is a C<CGI::Application::Magic> sub class that supply a perl handler to integrate your application modules with the Apache/mod_perl server.

The C<CGI::Application::Magic> module is fully mod_perl 1 and 2 compatible, but the C<Apache::Application::Magic> module supplies an easy implementation of a sort of "Perl Side Include" (sort of easier, more powerful and flexible "Server Side Include").

B<Note>: most of the interesting reading of how organize your application module are in L<CGI::Application::Magic>.

=head2 Perl Side Include

SSI (Server Side Includes) are directives that are placed in HTML pages, and evaluated on the server while the pages are being served. The Apache server uses the C<mod_include> Apache module to process the pages, but you can configure it to process the pages by using your own C<Apache::Application::Magic> based module, that can easily implement a lot of more custom 'directives' in the form of simple labels.

In other words: your own C<Apache::Application::Magic> based module transparently process the pages of a web dir, supplying the dinamic content that will be included in the page just before they are served.

With this technique B<your application does not need to handle neither run modes, nor run methods, nor template managements>: all that is auto-magically handled by the C<Apache::Application::Magic> super class.

Please, take a look at the 'perl_side_include' example in this distribution to understand all the advantages offered by this technique.

=head2 No Instance Script needed

All the generic CGI applications I<(old, Plus and Magic)>, use an Instance Script to call the Application Module. The script is usually like this:

    #!/usr/bin/perl -w
    use MyWebApp;                   # the Application module
    my $webapp = MyWebApp->new();   # create a new instance
    $webapp->run();                 # run and produce the output page

With C<Apache::Application::Plus> the Apache/mod_perl server will use the Application module directly (throug the perl handler supplied by this module), without the need of any Instance Script.

=head2 The Perl Handler

This module provide a mod_perl 1 and 2 compatible handler that internally creates and run() the Application object, after setting the following object properties:

=over

=item * request

This property is set to the Apache request object. Use it to interact directly with all the Apache/mod_perl internal methods.

=item * runmode

The default runmode is set to the base name of the requested filename (e.g. being the requested filename F</path/to/file.mhtml>, the default runmode will be set to 'file'). This is an alternative and handy way to pass the runmode.

=item * tm_path

The default C<tm_path> property is set to the directory that contains the requested file.

=item * tm_suffix

The default C<tm_suffix> property is set to the suffix of the requested filename (e.g. being the requested filename F</path/to/file.mhtml>, the default tm_suffix will be set to '.mhtml').

=item * tm_template

The default C<tm_template> property is set to the C<runmode> property plus the C<tm_suffix> as usual, so with the C<tm_path> property, the requested file will be used as the template.

=back

B<Note>: Usually you don't need to use neither the perl handler nor these properties, because they are all internally managed. Just write the lookup-related code in your application, and let the default do their job by ignoring them ;-).

=head2 How to pass the runmode

In a generic CGI Application the run mode usually comes from a query parameter or from code inside your application. Both ways are still working with this module, but you don't need to pass the runmode anymore: just link the template files toghether to have it automagically set.

B<Note>: Remember that this technique utilize the default runmode. Default means that it is overridable by setting explicitly the runmode inside your code, or passing an explicit 'rm' query parameter. (i.e. if you want to use the provided default, you have just to avoid to set it explicitly).

=head1 Apache configuration

The Apache configuration for mod-perl 1 or 2 is extremely simple. In order to use e.g. your F<FooBar.pm> Application module, you have to follow these steps:

=over

=item 1 tell mod_perl to load FooBar.pm

You can do this in several ways.

In the F<startup.pl> file (or equivalent) you can simply add:

    use FooBar () ;

or you can tell mod_perl to load it from inside any configuration files:

    PerlModule FooBar

or if your F<FooBar.pm> file is not in the mod_perl C<@INC> this will work as well from any Apache configuration file:

   PerlRequire /path/to/FooBar.pm

=item 2 tell mod_perl to use it as a (response) handler

In F<.htaccess> file

For mod_perl 1:

    SetHandler perl-script
    PerlHandler FooBar

For mod_perl 2:

    SetHandler perl-script
    PerlResponseHandler FooBar

B<Note>: In order to use this module, the only difference between mod_perl 1 and 2 configuration, is the mod_perl handler name C<'PerlHandler'> that becomes C<'PerlResponseHandler'> for the version 2.

=item 3 restrict its use to fit your needs

Use the Apache configuration sections C<Location>, C<Directory>, C<DirectoryMatch>, C<Files>, C<FilesMatch> etc. to restrict the use of the handler (see also the Apache Directive documentation)

   # example 1: httpd.conf
   # only if runs under mod_perl
   <IfModule mod_perl.c>
        PerlModule FooBar
        # limited to the dir /some/path
        <Directory /some/path>
            SetHandler perl-script
            PerlHandler FooBar
        </Directory>
   </IfModule>

   # example 2: /some/path/.htaccess file
   # only if runs under mod_perl
   <IfModule mod_perl.c>
        PerlModule FooBar
        # limited to all files '*.mhtml' in dir /some/path
        <Files ~ \.mhtml$>
           SetHandler perl-script
           PerlHandler FooBar
        </Files>
   </IfModule>

=back

B<Note>: see also the F</magic_examples/perl_side_include/.htaccess> file in this distribution.

=head1 METHODS

This module adds just one method to the standard C<CGI::Application::Magic> methods.

=head2 new_object()

This method initializes and returns the internal C<Apache::Application::Magic> object. You can override it if you know what you are doing, or you can simply ignore it ;-).

B<Note>: This method is here just if you need to override the way the module generates the object. Think about this method as it were an included Instance Script that creates the object by setting different properties and/or parameters. Anyway you have alternative methods to change the object properties, such as e.g. the setup() and cgiapp_init() methods.

=head1 PROPERTY ACCESSORS

This module adds just one property to the standard C<CGI::Application::Magic> properties.

=head2 request

This property allows you to access the request Apache object.

=head1 SUPPORT and FEEDBACK

If you need support or if you want just to send me some feedback or request, please use this link: http://perl.4pro.net/?Apache::Application::Magic.

=head1 AUTHOR and COPYRIGHT

© 2004 by Domizio Demichelis.

=cut

All Rights Reserved. This module is free software. It may be used, redistributed and/or modified under the same terms as perl itself.