mod_example Illustrates the Apache module API Experimental mod_example.c example_module This document has not been updated to take into account changes made in the 2.0 version of the Apache HTTP Server. Some of the information may still be relevant, but please use it with care.

The files in the src/modules/example directory under the Apache distribution directory tree are provided as an example to those that wish to write modules that use the Apache API.

The main file is mod_example.c, which illustrates all the different callback mechanisms and call syntaxes. By no means does an add-on module need to include routines for all of the callbacks - quite the contrary!

The example module is an actual working module. If you link it into your server, enable the "example-handler" handler for a location, and then browse to that location, you will see a display of some of the tracing the example module did as the various callbacks were made.
Compiling the example module

To include the example module in your server, follow the steps below:

  1. Uncomment the "AddModule modules/example/mod_example" line near the bottom of the src/Configuration file. If there isn't one, add it; it should look like this: AddModule modules/example/mod_example.o
  2. Run the src/Configure script ("cd src; ./Configure"). This will build the Makefile for the server itself, and update the src/modules/Makefile for any additional modules you have requested from beneath that subdirectory.
  3. Make the server (run "make" in the src directory).

To add another module of your own:

  1. mkdir src/modules/mymodule
  2. cp src/modules/example/* src/modules/mymodule
  3. Modify the files in the new directory.
  4. Follow steps [1] through [3] above, with appropriate changes.
Using the <code>mod_example</code> Module

To activate the example module, include a block similar to the following in your srm.conf file:

<Location /example-info>
SetHandler example-handler
</Location>

As an alternative, you can put the following into a .htaccess file and then request the file "test.example" from that location:

AddHandler example-handler .example

After reloading/restarting your server, you should be able to browse to this location and see the brief display mentioned earlier.

Example Demonstration directive to illustrate the Apache module API Example server config virtual hostdirectory .htaccess

The Example directive just sets a demonstration flag which the example module's content handler displays. It takes no arguments. If you browse to an URL to which the example content-handler applies, you will get a display of the routines within the module and how and in what order they were called to service the document request. The effect of this directive one can observe under the point "Example directive declared here: YES/NO".