The Apache/Perl integration project brings together the full power of the Perl programming language and the Apache HTTP server. This is achieved by linking the Perl runtime library into the server and providing an object oriented Perl interface to the server's C language API. These pieces are seamlessly glued together by the `mod_perl' server plugin, making it is possible to write Apache modules entirely in Perl. In addition, the persistent interpreter embedded in the server avoids the overhead of starting an external interpreter and the penalty of Perl start-up (compile) time. Without question, the most popular Apache/Perl module is Apache::Registry module. This module emulates the CGI environment, allowing programmers to write scripts that run under CGI or mod_perl without change. Existing CGI scripts may require some changes, simply because a CGI script has a very short lifetime of one HTTP request, allowing you to get away with "quick and dirty" scripting. Using mod_perl and Apache::Registry requires you to be more careful, but it also gives new meaning to the work "quick"! Although it may be all you need, a speedy CGI replacement is only a small part of this project. Callback hooks are in place for each stage of a request. Apache-Perl modules may step in during the handler, header parser, uri translate, authentication, authorization, access, type check, fixup and logger stages of a request. Bundled Apache/Perl modules include: Apache::Registry - Run unaltered CGI scripts Apache::Status - Embedded interpreter runtime status Apache::SSI - Implement server-side includes in Perl Apache::AuthenDBI - Authenticate via Perl's DBI Apache::Authen - Perl Apache authentication utilities Apache::AuthzAge - Authorize based on age Apache::AccessLimitNum - Limit user access by number of requests Apache::Constants - Constants defined in httpd.h Apache::MsqlProxy - Translate URI's into mSQL database queries There's plenty more Apache/Perl software you might be interested in, than what's in the mod_perl distribution. The Apache/Perl module list keeps track of modules inside and outside the distribution, along with idea placeholders. For more information see: http://www.perl.com/CPAN/modules/by-module/Apache/apache-modlist.html For comments, questions, bug-reports, announcements, etc., join the Apache/Perl mailing list by sending mail to listserv@listproc.itribe.net with the string "subscribe modperl" in the body. There is a hypermail archive for this list available from: http://www.coe.missouri.edu/~faq/lists/modperl/ The mod_perl FAQ is available from: http://chaos.dc.enews.com/mod_perl/ For more general information see the Apache/Perl homepage: http://www.osf.org/~dougm/apache/ Enjoy, -Doug MacEachern