[mod_python] Mod_python.publisher behavior - sending .py file tobrowser not processing it in pyton

> > As Graham pointed out SetHandler and AddHandler should not be used at
> > the same time. "SetHandler mod_python" causes all files to be served
> > by mod_python and when you refer to them in your browser you don't
> > need to specify any extension such as .py and "AddHandler mod_python
> > .py" causes all files ending in .py to be served by mod_python but in
> > this case when referring to a file in your browser you should add the
> > .py extension. So if you have
> >
> > <Directory '/your_document_root/whatever'>
> >    SetHandler mod_python
> >    PythonHandler mod_python.publisher
> > </Directory>
> >
> > and you have a file /whatever/foo.py with a function bar( ) then in
> > your browser you would type http://yourserver/whatever/foo/bar,
>
> When using SetHandler you should still be able to use:
>
>    http://yourserver/whatever/foo.py/bar
>
> Your mileage may vary though depending on how some of the
> other bits of Apache configuration are set. See some of previous
> rants for possibly useful about this.
>
>    http://www.modpython.org/pipermail/mod_python/2005-August/018828.html
>    http://www.modpython.org/pipermail/mod_python/2005-August/018829.html
>    http://www.modpython.org/pipermail/mod_python/2006-March/020501.html
>
> > whereas with
> >
> > <Directory '/your_document_root/whatever'>
> >    AddHandler mod_python .py
> >    PythonHandler mod_python.publisher
> > </Directory>
> >
> > you would need http://yourserver/whatever/foo.py/bar
>
> As long as you have content negotiation directives set correctly, you
> don't have to use .py extension when AddHandler is used. See my linked
> rants above for details.
>
> > So it's really up to you which behaviour you like, you want *all*
> > files to be served by mod_python or only those that have a specific
> > extension and then you set either AddHandler or SetHandler. But not
> > both :) And in any case, you certainly don't want your .pyc files to
> > be served at all, so you should probably remove "AddHandler mod_python
> > .pyc".
>
> If using AddHandler and Apache has write permission to directory, it is
> actually a good idea to have:
>
>    <Files *.pyc>
>    deny from all
>    </Files>
>
> This will prevent the pyc files being accessible.
>
> Using AddHandler for pyc extension will probably actually cause it to
> execute the file as publisher, just like if py extension was used.
> This is
> because mod_python.publisher will quite happily drop the pyc extension
> and use basename to match to .py file.
>
> Besides the fact that AddHandler allows you to mix other file types in
> the same directory, the main difference between SetHandler and
> AddHandler
> as far as mod_python.publisher goes is that when SetHandler is used a
> request against the directory is passed through direct to
> mod_python.publisher
> and it resolves request to index.py.
>
> When AddHandler is used, a request against the directory results in
> mod_dir
> trying to match for a file listed in DirectoryIndex directive. In
> order for
> mod_python.publisher to be triggered, you would need to list index.py
> in the DirectoryIndex directive.
>
> Other than that, with the correct Apache directives defined related
> to content
> negotiation, both ways should allow for optional use of extension.


Thanks for these clarifications, I indeed didn't realize that my rule
of thumb 'AddHandler: extension needed' vs. 'SetHandler: no extension'
is not quite true. Probably my particular configuration gave me the
feeling that it is always the case, but good to know that it isn't :)