[ANNOUNCE] MasonX::Apache2Handler-0.05

[be...@beaucox.com]

I am happy to announce the the following module for running
Mason under Apache 2 / mod_perl 2 with the native Apache 2 request
handler (libapreq2).

  MasonX::Apache2Handler-0.05

This modules are currently on my site at:

 <http://beaucox.com/mason>

and will be submitted to CPAN shortly.

Version 0.05 had been validated against the latest Mason release (1.26).
One change - which may affect your installation - has been made:

   Changed the '$r' passed to Mason pages from type
   'Apache::Request' to 'Apache::RequestRec' to conform
   to the parameter passed to mod_perl 2 handlers. This
   WILL break your Mason pages that currently use '$r'.

Please see the Changes file and the documentation on my site and
in the distribution.

Partial documentation:

NAME
    MasonX::Apache2Handler - experimental (beta) Mason/mod_perl2 interface

SYNOPSIS
        use MasonX::Apache2Handler;
 
        my $ah = MasonX::Apache2Handler->new (..name/value params..);
        ...
        sub handler {
           my $r = shift;
           $ah->handle_request($r);
        }

DESCRIPTION
    MasonX::Apache2Handler is experimental ( beta ) and should only be used
    in a test environment. The MasonX::Apache2Handler module itself is a
    simple clone of Mason's HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler, and, as such, seems
    to be solid. However the components used, mod_perl 2 and libapreq2, are
    currently under development each give a version of the above warning.

    If you are interested in moving to mod_perl 2 when it reaches production
    status, I encourage you to try these modules in a test environment; your
    feedback will help getting mod_perl 2 out the door. I have been using
    this module on two live sites since mid-January 2004, with no problems.

    MasonX::Apache2Handler was written to allow Mason to run in a 'pure'
    mod_perl2/Apache2 environment using the mod_perl2 native request
    structure as implemented by libapreq2. This is an unofficial release,
    not supported by the Mason group. If you want to use this module in a
    testing environment, please address problems, issues, comments, and
    improvements to me, not Mason.

    When deciding to port Mason to mod_perl2 I took the approach to add
    Module(s) rather than patching core Mason modules. Upon investigation I
    discovered that all the Apache 'glue' code in Mason was contained in
    HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler. Therefore, I renamed and modified that
    module to create MasonX::Apache2Handler.

    The actual changes I made can be found in the distribution in
    diff/ApacheHandler.diff ( made with 'diff -Naru' ... ).

    As a result of my approach, you may install the normal Mason ( >= 1.25
    ), the modules in "PREREQUISITES" below, and this module. After
    configuring ( see "CONFIGURATION" below ), you're ready to play.

    The Apache2Handler object links Mason to mod_perl2, running components
    in response to HTTP requests. It is controlled primarily through
    parameters to the new() constructor.

    handle_request() is not a user method, but rather is called from the
    HTML::Mason::handler() routine in handler.pl.

    MasonX::Apache2Handler is a modified copy of the standard
    HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler. Apache2Handler MUST be used with mod_perl2.

    You may, however, run Mason with Apache2/mod_perl2 without
    Apache2Handler (see my rather dated mini-HOWTO at
    <http://beaucox.com/mason/mason-with-apmp2-mini-HOWTO.htm>), but you
    then use use 'CGI' requests rather than the native 'mod_perl' requests.

    The interface is the same as ApacheHandler's, Please refer to
    HTML::Mason, HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler, and
    <http://masonhq.com/docs/manual/Admin.html>.

NAME CHANGE
    I have changed module names and released them as of version 0.04 as perl
    Mason's request:

        HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler2 =>
            MasonX::Apache2Handler

        MasonX::Request::WithApacheSession2 =>
            MasonX::Request::WithApache2Session

    These changes keep my modules out of the 'core' Mason name space. Those
    of you who have installed my prior modules are encouraged to install the
    new modules and make the necessary changes to the configuration files
    and scripts.

'$r' IN 0.05
    The '$r' passed to Mason pages has been changed from type
    'Apache::Request' to 'Apache::RequestRec' to conform to the parameter
    passed to mod_perl 2 handlers in version 0.05. This WILL break your
    Mason pages that currently use '$r'. To get the corresponding
    'Apache::Request' in your pages under 0.05, do:

       $rr = Apache::Request->new( $r );

    $rr' is now an 'Apache::Request', while '$r' is an 'Apache::RequestRec'.

    There is a web page in eg/request-examiner.html that displays the type
    and interface provided by '$r' in your Mason pages. You may want to try
    this page on your system. Further information may be found on the mod
    perl site, specifically:
    <http://perl.apache.org/docs/2.0/user/porting/compat.html#Request_Object
    _Methods> and
    <http://perl.apache.org/docs/2.0/api/Apache/RequestRec.html>.

PREREQUISITES
    You must have the following packages installed:

        perl            => 5.8.0
        mod_perl        => 1.9910
        HTML::Mason     => 1.25
        libapreq2       => 2.02-dev

    Please refer to the packages' documentation for instructions.

WARNING: PERL 5.8.2
...

FLUSH BUFFER AND REDIRECTS
    I have 'subclassed' HTML::Mason::Request (as MasonX::Request2) and
    HTML::Mason::Buffer (as MasonX::Buffer2) to change handling of buffer
    flushing as per Johnathan Kupferer's suggestion (see
    http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=mason-devel&m=105337019427296&w=2).
    Basically the buffer is flushed only if there is really anything to
    flush, which clears the way for $m->redirect( $url );.

    I have tested this change extensively and found it to be solid. You may
    wish to uncomment the "print STDERR ..." statements in Burrer2 and
    Request2 if you wish to see the flushing process at work (or you still
    have redirect problems). The print STDERR's appear in the Apache log.

CONFIGURATION
...

Aloha => Beau;


-- 
Report problems: http://perl.apache.org/bugs/
Mail list info: http://perl.apache.org/maillist/modperl.html
List etiquette: http://perl.apache.org/maillist/email-etiquette.html