[mod_python] Re: Mod_python Digest, Vol 42, Issue 4

Jim Gallacher jpg at jgassociates.ca
Fri Sep 15 08:26:51 EDT 2006


Steve Holden wrote:
> Graham Dumpleton wrote:
>> Steve Holden wrote ..
>>
>>> Graham Dumpleton wrote:
>>>
>>>> In respect of AddHandler, SetHandler, MultiViews etc, you need to  
>>>> realise
>>>> that mod_python is an extension for Apache. Thus, such things like this
>>>> aren't actually implemented by mod_python but are implemented
>>>> by Apache. To use mod_python properly, you also need to understand
>>>> Apache to some degree and that means also referring to the Apache
>>>> documentation.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Which, IMHO, is even more obscurantist than the mod_python 
>>> documentation. It seems to assume you've already read much of the source
>>> code and are familiar with C ... in which case why would you be using 
>>> mod_python in the first place :-) ?
>>
>>
>> As Jim effectively commented, mod_python is more than just a jumping off
>> point for a content handler. It is quite sad (and frustrating) at 
>> times to see
>> that more often than not people ignore all the richness that Apache 
>> offers.
>> They just want to use Python for absolutely everything when there are 
>> other
>> modules or features provided by Apache that could be used in conjunction
>> with mod_python and their own Python code to get the job done quicker and
>> more efficiently. More than anything else, this is why mod_python 
>> development
>> has languished, because the majority of people cant seem to see the 
>> bigger
>> picture. It is only with mod_python 3.3 that one will be able to 
>> finally do
>> with mod_python what mod_perl people have had for years and even then
>> we still don't go anywhere near as far as they do in being able to 
>> harness
>> the full power of Apache.
>>
> That's great. However, those of us who aren't particularly clued in to 
> Apache find it difficult to locate appropriate documentation: and I 
> *have* tried - there just doesn't seem to be that much introductory 
> documentation. Or I am crap at searching, perhaps.

You are correct. (About the available documentation... I'm sure your 
search abilities are just fine ;) ). Everyone here acknowledges that the 
mod_python documentation could be improved, especially on how it fits 
into the Apache ecosystem.

One of the better resources is the book  "Writing Apache Modules with 
Perl and C". See http://www.modperl.com.  There is some really good 
information in there that can aid in understanding how Apache works. 
Unfortunately the examples are in perl, so it helps to already know 
mod_python so you can translate on the fly - not an ideal situation.

Jim


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