docs::a...uestUtil(3)

📦 version 2.0.13, in nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable

🌸 NAME 🌸

okay bestie, the header labels this page docs::a...uestUtil(3) and it's from User Contributed Perl Documentation. The actual name is Apache2::RequestUtil - Perl API for Apache request record utils 💖.

✨ Synopsis ✨

Here's the group-chat recap of the moves this module lets you make, no cap:

use Apache2::RequestUtil ();

# add httpd config dynamically
$r->add_config(['require valid-user']);

# dump the request object as a string
print $r->as_string();

# default content_type
$content_type = $r->default_type();

# get PerlSetVar/PerlAddVar values
@values = $r->dir_config->get($key);

# get server docroot
$docroot = $r->document_root();

# set server docroot
$r->document_root($new_root);

# what are the registered perl handlers for a given phase
my @handlers = @{ $r->get_handlers('PerlResponseHandler') || [] };

# push a new handler for a given phase
$r->push_handlers(PerlCleanupHandler => \&handler);

# set handlers for a given phase (resetting previous values)
$r->set_handlers(PerlCleanupHandler => []);

# what's the request body limit
$limit = $r->get_limit_req_body();

# server and port names
$server = $r->get_server_name();
$port   = $r->get_server_port();

# what string Apache is going to send for a given status code
$status_line = Apache2::RequestUtil::get_status_line(404);

# are we in the main request?
$is_initial = $r->is_initial_req();

# directory level PerlOptions flags lookup
$r->subprocess_env unless $r->is_perl_option_enabled('SetupEnv');

# current <Location> value
$location = $r->location();

# merge a <Location> container in a request object
$r->location_merge($location);

# create a new Apache2::RequestRec object
$r = Apache2::RequestRec->new($c);

# tell the client not to cache the response
$r->no_cache($boolean);

# share perl objects by reference like $r->notes
$r->pnotes($key => [$obj1, $obj2]);

# get HTML signature
$sig = $r->psignature($prefix);

# get the global request object (requires PerlOptions +GlobalRequest)
$r = Apache2::RequestUtil->request;

# insert auth credentials into the request as if the client did that
$r->set_basic_credentials($username, $password);

# slurp the contents of $r->filename
my $content = ${ $r->slurp_filename() };

# terminate the current child after this request
$r->child_terminate();

💖 Description 💖

Apache2::RequestUtil provides the Apache request object utilities API. That's the whole description, short and slay.

🎀 API 🎀

This is the main-character list of utilities, bestie. Every parameter, default, and caveat is right here — no skipping.

💅 `add_config` 💅

Dynamically add Apache configuration at request processing runtime:

$r->add_config($lines);
$r->add_config($lines, $override);
$r->add_config($lines, $override, $path);
$r->add_config($lines, $override, $path, $override_opts);

Configuration directives are processed as if given in a <Location> block.

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
arg1: $lines (ARRAY ref) — an ARRAY reference containing configuration lines per element, without the new line terminators.
opt arg2: $override ( Apache2::Const override constant ) — which allow-override bits are set. Default value is: Apache2::Const::OR_AUTHCFG
opt arg3: $path ( string ) — Set the path component of the Apache2::CmdParms object. This is the path of the <Location> block. Some directives need this, for example ProxyPassReverse.

If an empty string is passed a NULL pointer is passed further at C-level. This is necessary to make something like this work:

$r->add_config( [
                 '<Directory />',
                 'AllowOverride Options AuthConfig',
                 '</Directory>',
                ], ~0, '' );

Note: AllowOverride is valid only in directory context.

⚠️ Caution: Some directives need a non-empty path otherwise they cause segfaults. Thus, use the empty path with caution.

Default value is: /

opt arg4: $override_opts ( Apache2::Const options constant ) — Apache limits the applicable directives in certain situations with AllowOverride. With Apache 2.2 comes the possibility to enable or disable single options, for example:

AllowOverride AuthConfig Options=ExecCGI,Indexes

Internally, this directive is parsed into 2 bit fields that are represented by the $override and $override_opts parameters to add_config. The above example is parsed into an $override with 2 bits set, one for AuthConfig the other for Options and an $override_opts with 2 bits set for ExecCGI and Indexes.

When applying other directives, for example AuthType or Options the appropriate bits in $override must be set. For the Options directive additionally $override_opts bits must be set.

The $override and $override_opts parameters to add_config are valid while applying $lines.

$override_opts is new in Apache 2.2. The mod_perl implementation for Apache 2.0 lets you pass the parameter but ignores it.

Default for $override_opts is: Apache2::Const::OPT_UNSET | Apache2::Const::OPT_ALL | Apache2::Const::OPT_INCNOEXEC | Apache2::Const::OPT_SYM_OWNER | Apache2::Const::OPT_MULTI

That means, all options are allowed.

ret: no return value
since: 2.0.00, $path and $override_opts since 2.0.3

See also: $s->add_config

For example:

use Apache2::RequestUtil ();
use Apache2::Access ();

$r->add_config(['require valid-user']);

# this regards the current AllowOverride setting
$r->add_config(['AuthName secret',
                'AuthType Basic',
                'Options ExecCGI'],
               $r->allow_override, $path, $r->allow_override_opts);

🦋 `as_string` 🦋

Dump the request object as a string:

$dump = $r->as_string();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
ret: $dump ( string )
since: 2.0.00

Dumps various request and response headers (mainly useful for debugging).

💀 `child_terminate` 💀

Terminate the current worker process as soon as the current request is over:

$r->child_terminate();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
ret: no return value
since: 2.0.00

⚠️ This method is not supported in threaded MPMs.

🌸 `default_type` 🌸

Retrieve the value of the DefaultType directive for the current request. If not set text/plain is returned.

$content_type = $r->default_type();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object ) — the current request
ret: $content_type ( string ) — the default type
since: 2.0.00

💀 removed from the httpd API in version 2.3.2

🧚 `dir_config` 🧚

$r->dir_config() provides an interface for the per-directory variable specified by the PerlSetVar and PerlAddVar directives, and also can be manipulated via the APR::Table methods.

$table  = $r->dir_config();
$value  = $r->dir_config($key);
@values = $r->dir_config->get($key);
$r->dir_config($key, $val);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
opt arg2: $key ( string ) — key string
opt arg3: $val ( string ) — value string
ret: ... — depends on the passed arguments, see further discussion
since: 2.0.00

The keys are case-insensitive.

$apr_table = $r->dir_config();

dir_config() called in a scalar context without the $key argument returns a HASH reference blessed into the APR::Table class. This object can be manipulated via the APR::Table methods. For available methods see the APR::Table manpage.

$value = $r->dir_config($key);

If the $key argument is passed in the scalar context only a single value will be returned. Since the table preserves the insertion order, if there is more than one value for the same key, the oldest value associated with the desired key is returned. Calling in the scalar context is also much faster, as it'll stop searching the table as soon as the first match happens.

@values = $r->dir_config->get($key);

To receive a list of values you must use get() method from the APR::Table class.

$r->dir_config($key => $val);

If the $key and the $val arguments are used, the set() operation will happen: all existing values associated with the key $key (and the key itself) will be deleted and $value will be placed instead.

$r->dir_config($key => undef);

If $val is undef the unset() operation will happen: all existing values associated with the key $key (and the key itself) will be deleted.

🦋 `document_root` 🦋

Retrieve the document root for this server:

$docroot = $r->document_root();
$docroot = $r->document_root($new_root);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object ) — the current request
opt arg1: $new_root — Sets the document root to a new value only for the duration of the current request.

Note the limited functionality under threaded MPMs.

ret: $docroot ( string ) — the document root
since: 2.0.00

💜 `get_handlers` 💜

Returns a reference to a list of handlers enabled for a given phase:

$handlers_list = $r->get_handlers($hook_name);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
arg1: $hook_name ( string ) — a string representing the phase to handle (e.g. PerlLogHandler)
ret: $handlers_list (ref to an ARRAY of CODE refs) — a list of handler subroutines CODE references
since: 2.0.00

See also: $s->add_config

For example:

A list of handlers configured to run at the response phase:

my @handlers = @{ $r->get_handlers('PerlResponseHandler') || [] };

🍓 `get_limit_req_body` 🍓

Return the limit on bytes in request msg body:

$limit = $r->get_limit_req_body();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object ) — the current request
ret: $limit (integer) — the maximum number of bytes in the request msg body
since: 2.0.00

🌈 `get_server_name` 🌈

Get the current request's server name:

$server = $r->get_server_name();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object ) — the current request
ret: $server ( string ) — the server name
since: 2.0.00

For example, construct a hostport string:

use Apache2::RequestUtil ();
my $hostport = join ':', $r->get_server_name, $r->get_server_port;

⭐ `get_server_port` ⭐

Get the current server port:

$port = $r->get_server_port();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object ) — the current request
ret: $port ( integer ) — the server's port number
since: 2.0.00

For example, construct a hostport string:

use Apache2::RequestUtil ();
my $hostport = join ':', $r->get_server_name, $r->get_server_port;

💫 `get_status_line` 💫

Return the Status-Line for a given status code (excluding the HTTP-Version field):

$status_line = Apache2::RequestUtil::get_status_line($status);

arg1: $status (integer) — The HTTP status code
ret: $status_line ( string ) — the Status-Line itself 💅

If you hand it an invalid or unknown status code, it just gives you 500 Internal Server Error. No drama, no error, just a very polite shrug 🫶

since: 2.0.00

Like, for example:

use Apache2::RequestUtil ();
print Apache2::RequestUtil::get_status_line(400);

and that prints:

400 Bad Request

`is_initial_req` 🕵️

Tells you whether the request you're holding is the main request or just a sub-request, no cap:

$is_initial = $r->is_initial_req();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object ) — a request object or a sub-request object, either one works
ret: $is_initial ( boolean ) — true means it's the main request, otherwise it's a sub-request
since: 2.0.00

`is_perl_option_enabled` 🎚️

Checks whether a directory-level PerlOptions flag is enabled or not:

$result = $r->is_perl_option_enabled($flag);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
arg1: $flag ( string )
ret: $result ( boolean )
since: 2.0.00

So like, say you wanna check whether the SetupEnv option is enabled for the current request — which, btw, you can turn off with PerlOptions -SetupEnv — and populate the environment variables table if it's disabled:

$r->subprocess_env unless $r->is_perl_option_enabled('SetupEnv');

See also: PerlOptions and the equivalent function for server-level PerlOptions flags ✨

`location` 📍

Gets the path of the <Location> section that your current Perl*Handler is being called from:

$location = $r->location();

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
ret: $location ( string )
since: 2.0.00

`location_merge` 🧩

Merges a given <Location> container into the current request object:

$ret = $r->location_merge($location);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
arg1: $location ( string ) — the argument in a <Location> section. For example, to merge a container like:

<Location /foo>
    ...
</Location>

that argument will be /foo

ret: $ret ( boolean ) — a true value if the merge was successful (i.e. the request $location match was found), otherwise false
since: 2.0.00

Super useful for inserting a configuration section into a custom Apache2::RequestRec object that you created via the Apache2::RequestRec->new() method. See for example the Command Server protocol example 👑

`new` 🐣

Creates a brand-new Apache2::RequestRec object:

$r = Apache2::RequestRec->new($c);
$r = Apache2::RequestRec->new($c, $pool);

obj: Apache2::RequestRec ( Apache2::RequestRec class name )
arg1: $c ( Apache2::Connection object )
opt arg2: $pool — if you don't pass a $pool argument, $c->pool gets used. Which means the created Apache2::RequestRec object stays valid for as long as the connection object is valid 🫶
ret: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
since: 2.0.00

Okay so this is the fun part: you can reuse the HTTP framework features outside the familiar HTTP request cycle. Like, you can write your own full or partial HTTP implementation without needing a running Apache server. You just need the Apache2::RequestRec object so you can reuse all the rich functionality it supplies 💖

See for example the Command Server protocol example, which reuses the HTTP AAA model under a non-HTTP protocol.

`no_cache` 🚫

Adds/removes cache control headers:

$prev_no_cache = $r->no_cache($boolean);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
arg1: $boolean ( boolean ) — a true value sets the no_cache request record member to a true value and inserts:

Pragma: no-cache
Cache-control: no-cache

into the response headers, which is basically saying "this data is volatile, client, do NOT cache it" 🙈 A false value unsets the no_cache request record member and the mentioned headers, if they were previously set.

ret: $prev_no_cache ( boolean ) — should you care, the no_cache request record member value from before the change is returned
since: 2.0.00

⚠️ Bestie, invoke this method before any response data has been sent out. Like, before. For real.

`pnotes` 💌

Shares Perl variables between Perl HTTP handlers:

# to share variables by value and not reference, $val should be a lexical.
$old_val  = $r->pnotes($key => $val);
$val      = $r->pnotes($key);
$hash_ref = $r->pnotes();

Note: sharing variables really means it. The variable is not copied. Only its reference count is incremented. If it gets changed after being put in pnotes, that change also affects the stored value. This example shows the effect:

my $v=1;                     my $v=1;
$r->pnotes( 'v'=>$v );       $r->pnotes->{v}=$v;
$v++;                        $v++;
my $x=$r->pnotes('v');       my $x=$r->pnotes->{v};

In both cases $x is 2 not 1. See also Apache2::SafePnotes on CPAN.

There has been a lot of discussion advocating for pnotes sharing variables by value and not by reference. Sharing by reference can create "spooky action at a distance" effects when the sharing is assumed to share a copy of the value 👻 Tim Bunce offers the following summary and suggestion for sharing by value.

What's wrong with this code:

sub foo {
    my ($r, $status, $why) = @_;
    $r->pnotes('foo', ($why) ? "$status:$why" : $status);
    return;
}

Nothing, except it doesn't work as expected due to this pnotes bug: if the same code is called in a sub-request, then the pnote of $r->prev is magically updated at a distance to the same value 😭

Try explaining why that is to anyone not deeply familiar with perl internals. I'll wait.

The fix is to avoid pnotes taking a ref to the invisible op_targ embedded in the code, by passing a simple lexical variable as the actual argument. You can do it inline like this:

sub mark_as_internally_redirected {
    my ($r, $status, $why) = @_;
    $r->pnotes('foo', my $tmp = (($why) ? "$status:$why" : $status));
    return;
}

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
opt arg1: $key ( string ) — a key value
opt arg2: $val ( SCALAR ) — any scalar value (e.g. a reference to an array)
ret: (three different possible values, keep up 💅)
- if both $key and $val are passed, the previous value for $key is returned if such existed, otherwise undef is returned
- if only $key is passed, the current value for the given key is returned
- if no arguments are passed, a hash reference is returned, which you can then access directly without going through the pnotes() interface
since: 2.0.00

This method gives you functionality similar to (Apache2::RequestRec::notes), but the values can be any Perl variables. Which also means it can only be used between Perl modules 🧚

The values get reset automatically at the end of each HTTP request.

Examples ✨

Set a key/value pair:

$r->pnotes(foo => [1..5]);

Get the value:

$val = $r->pnotes("foo");

$val now contains an array ref containing 5 elements (1..5).

Now change the existing value:

$old_val = $r->pnotes(foo => ['a'..'c']);
$val = $r->pnotes("foo");

$old_val now contains an array ref with 5 elements (1..5) and $val contains an array ref with 3 elements 'a', 'b', 'c'.

Alternatively you can access the hash reference with all the pnotes values:

$pnotes = $r->pnotes;

Now we can read what's in there for the key foo:

$val = $pnotes->{foo};

and as before, $val still gives us an array ref with 3 elements 'a', 'b', 'c'.

Now we can add elements to it:

push @{ $pnotes{foo} }, 'd'..'f';

and we can try to retrieve them using the hash and the non-hash API:

$val1 = $pnotes{foo};
$val2 = $r->pnotes("foo");

Both $val1 and $val2 contain an array ref with 6 elements (letters 'a' to 'f').

Finally, to reset an entry you could just assign undef as a value:

$r->pnotes(foo => undef);

but the entry for the key foo still remains with the value undef. If you really want to completely remove it, use the hash interface:

delete $r->pnotes->{foo};

`psignature` ✍️

Gets HTML describing the address and (optionally) the admin of the server:

$sig = $r->psignature($prefix);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec )
arg1: $prefix ( string ) — text which is prepended to the return value
ret: $sig ( string ) — HTML text describing the server. Note that depending on the value of the ServerSignature directive, the function may return the address, including the admin information, or nothing at all 👀
since: 2.0.00

`request` 🔄

Gets/sets the ( Apache2::RequestRec object ) object for the current request:

$r = Apache2::RequestUtil->request;
     Apache2::RequestUtil->request($new_r);

obj: Apache2 (class name) — the Apache class name
opt arg1: $new_r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
ret: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
since: 2.0.00

The get-able part of this method is only available if PerlOptions +GlobalRequest is in effect, or if Apache2->request($new_r) was called earlier. So instead of setting PerlOptions +GlobalRequest, you can just set the global request from within the handler 🫶

`push_handlers` 📚

Adds one or more handlers to a list of handlers to be called for a given phase:

$ok = $r->push_handlers($hook_name => \&handler);
$ok = $r->push_handlers($hook_name => ['Foo::Bar::handler', \&handler2]);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
arg1: $hook_name ( string ) — the phase to add the handlers to
arg2: $handlers ( CODE ref or SUB name or an ARRAY ref ) — a single handler CODE reference or just a name of the subroutine (fully qualified unless defined in the current package). If more than one is passed, use a reference to an array of CODE refs and/or subroutine names
ret: $ok ( boolean ) — returns a true value on success, otherwise a false value
since: 2.0.00
- See also: $s->add_config

Note: to push input/output filters you have to use Apache2::Filter methods: add_input_filter and add_output_filter.

Examples 🌈

A single handler:

$r->push_handlers(PerlResponseHandler => \&handler);

Multiple handlers:

$r->push_handlers(PerlFixupHandler => ['Foo::Bar::handler', \&handler2]);

Anonymous functions:

$r->push_handlers(PerlLogHandler => sub { return Apache2::Const::OK });

`set_basic_credentials` 🔐

Populates the incoming request headers table (headers_in) with authentication headers for Basic Authorization, as if the client had submitted those in the first place:

$r->set_basic_credentials($username, $password);

obj: $r ( Apache2::RequestRec object )
arg1: $username ( string )
arg2: $password ( string )
ret: no return value
since: 2.0.00

See for example the Command Server protocol example which reuses HTTP AAA model under non-HTTP protocol. (iykyk 😌)

🌸 `set_handlers` 🌸

Set a list of handlers to be called for a given phase. Any previously set handlers are so forgotten — like, gone gone. 👋

$ok = $r->set_handlers($hook_name => \&handler);
$ok = $r->set_handlers($hook_name => ['Foo::Bar::handler', \&handler2]);
$ok = $r->set_handlers($hook_name => []);
$ok = $r->set_handlers($hook_name => undef);

obj: $r ("Apache2::RequestRec object") — the request record bestie herself 💖
arg1: $hook_name (string) — the phase to set the handlers in
arg2: $handlers (CODE ref or SUB name or an ARRAY ref) — a reference to a single handler CODE reference, or just a name of the subroutine (fully qualified unless defined in the current package).
- if more than one passed, use a reference to an array of CODE refs and/or subroutine names.
- if the argument is undef or [], the list of handlers is reset to zero.
ret: $ok (boolean) — returns a true value on success, otherwise a false value
since: 2.0.00
See also: "$s->add_config"

Examples, bestie — take notes 📝:

A single handler:

$r->set_handlers(PerlResponseHandler => \&handler);

Multiple handlers:

$r->set_handlers(PerlFixupHandler => ['Foo::Bar::handler', \&handler2]);

Anonymous functions:

$r->set_handlers(PerlLogHandler => sub { return Apache2::Const::OK });

Reset any previously set handlers:

$r->set_handlers(PerlCleanupHandler => []);

$r->set_handlers(PerlCleanupHandler => undef);

🦋 `slurp_filename` 🦋

Slurp the contents of $r->filename. Like a lil smoothie, but for file data 🥤✨

$content_ref = $r->slurp_filename($tainted);

obj: $r ("Apache2::RequestRec object") — yes, the same icon $r 🫶
arg1: $tainted (number) — if the server is run under the tainting mode (-T) which we hope you do, by default the returned data is tainted. If an optional $tainted flag is set to zero, the data will be marked as non-tainted.

⚠️ Do not set this flag to zero unless you know what you are doing — you may create a security hole in your program if you do. For more information see the perlsec manpage. This is not a vibe-check you wanna fail, fr fr 😭

If you wonder why this option is available, it is used internally by the ModPerl::Registry handler and friends, because the CGI scripts that it reads are considered safe (you could just as well require() them).

ret: $content_ref (SCALAR ref) — a reference to a string with the contents
excpt: "APR::Error" — possible error codes could be: "APR::Const::EACCES" (permission problems), "APR::Const::ENOENT" (file not found), and others. For checking such error codes, see the documentation for, for example, "APR::Status::is_EACCES" and "APR::Status::is_ENOENT".
since: 2.0.00

Note that if you assign to $r->filename you need to update its stat record. Don't skip that step, bestie — it's giving "I forgot to save my work" energy 💀

💖 See Also 💖

mod_perl 2.0 documentation.

🎀 Copyright 🎀

mod_perl 2.0 and its core modules are copyrighted under The Apache Software License, Version 2.0.

👑 Authors 👑

The mod_perl development team and numerous contributors.

This lil page is from perl v5.42.3, dated 2023-10-21, and it lives at docs::a...uestUtil(3) — periodt, mwah 💋✨

📦 where this page comes from

nixos 26.05: mod_perl 2.0.13
nixpkgs unstable: mod_perl 2.0.13
💖 girlified by deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017 on 2026-11-04: a language model's rewrite of the original, under its terms

docs::a...uestUtil(3)

🌸 NAME 🌸

✨ Synopsis ✨

💖 Description 💖

🎀 API 🎀

💅 add_config 💅

🦋 as_string 🦋

💀 child_terminate 💀

🌸 default_type 🌸

🧚 dir_config 🧚

🦋 document_root 🦋

💜 get_handlers 💜

🍓 get_limit_req_body 🍓

🌈 get_server_name 🌈

⭐ get_server_port ⭐

💫 get_status_line 💫

is_initial_req 🕵️

is_perl_option_enabled 🎚️

location 📍

location_merge 🧩

new 🐣

no_cache 🚫

pnotes 💌