libapa...l::Util(3pm)

✨ NAME ✨

ModPerl::Util — Helper mod_perl Functions 💖

(also known as the page libapa...l::Util(3pm) in the User Contributed Perl Documentation, in case you were looking for that exact string at 2am, bestie, i got u 🫶)

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

okay so here's the vibe, short and sweet:

use ModPerl::Util;

# e.g. PerlResponseHandler
$callback = ModPerl::Util::current_callback;

# exit w/o killing the interpreter
ModPerl::Util::exit();

# untaint a string (do not use it! see the doc)
ModPerl::Util::untaint($string);

# removes a stash (.so, %INC{$stash}, etc.) as best as it can
ModPerl::Util::unload_package($stash);

# current perl's address (0x92ac760 or 0x0 under non-threaded perl)
ModPerl::Util::current_perl_id();

no cap, that's the whole flex. 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

ModPerl::Util provides mod_perl utilities API. that's it, that's the girl. she's the toolbox 🧰✨

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👑 API 👑

ModPerl::Util provides the following functions and/or methods. we're going through all of them, no skipping, bestie, we do NOT leave the group chat on read 💜

⭐ current_callback

Returns the currently running callback name, e.g. 'PerlResponseHandler'. like, "who am i right now" but for mod_perl and it actually has an answer 😭

$callback = ModPerl::Util::current_callback();

• ret: $callback ( string )
• since: 2.0.00

🌈 current_perl_id

Return the memory address of the perl interpreter ✨

$perl_id = ModPerl::Util::current_perl_id();

• ret: $perl_id ( string )
  • Under threaded perl returns something like: 0x92ac760
  • Under non-thread perl returns 0x0
• since: 2.0.00

Mainly useful for debugging applications running under threaded-perl. iykyk 🔍

💀 exit

Terminate the request, but not the current process (or not the current Perl interpreter with threaded mpms). it's giving "leave the party, not the group chat" 🎀

ModPerl::Util::exit($status);

• opt arg1: $status ( integer ) — The exit status, which as of this writing is ignored. (it's accepted to be compatible with the core exit function.)
• ret: no return value
• since: 2.0.00

Normally you will use the plain exit() in your code. You don't need to use ModPerl::Util::exit explicitly, since mod_perl overrides exit() by setting CORE::GLOBAL::exit to ModPerl::Util::exit. Only if you redefine CORE::GLOBAL::exit once mod_perl is running, you may want to use this function. 👈 the way that detail matters

The original exit() is still available via CORE::exit(). iconic, she never left 💅

ModPerl::Util::exit is implemented as a special die() call, therefore if you call it inside eval BLOCK or eval "STRING", while an exception is being thrown, it is caught by eval. For example:

exit;
print "Still running";

will not print anything. But:

eval {
   exit;
}
print "Still running";

will print Still running. So you either need to check whether the exception is specific to exit and call exit() again:

use ModPerl::Const -compile => 'EXIT';
eval {
   exit;
}
exit if $@ && ref $@ eq 'APR::Error' && $@ == ModPerl::EXIT;
print "Still running";

or use CORE::exit():

eval {
   CORE::exit;
}
print "Still running";

and nothing will be printed. The problem with the latter is the current process (or a Perl Interpreter) will be killed; something that you really want to avoid under mod_perl. 😭

bestie. do NOT casually CORE::exit under mod_perl. that kills the whole process (or a Perl Interpreter). read that last part again. reap the consequences. 💀

🧚 unload_package

Unloads a stash from the current Perl interpreter in the safest way possible. ✨

ModPerl::Util::unload_package($stash);

• arg1: $stash ( string ) — The Perl stash to unload. e.g. MyApache2::MyData.
• ret: no return value
• since: 2.0.00

Unloading a Perl stash (package) is a complicated business. This function tries very hard to do the right thing. After calling this function, it should be safe to use() a new version of the module that loads the wiped package. she's doing her absolute best, ok 🌸

References to stash elements (functions, variables, etc.) taken from outside the unloaded package will still be valid.

This function may wipe off things loaded by other modules, if the latter have inserted things into the $stash it was told to unload. ⚠️

If a stash had a corresponding XS shared object (.so) loaded it will be unloaded as well.

If the stash had a corresponding entry in %INC, it will be removed from there.

unload_package() takes care to leave sub-stashes intact while deleting the requested stash. So for example if CGI and CGI::Carp are loaded, calling unload_package('CGI') won't affect CGI::Carp. 🫶 considerate queen behavior

🙈 untaint

Untaint the variable, by turning its tainted SV flag off (used internally).

ModPerl::Util::untaint($tainted_var);

• arg1: $tainted_var (scalar)
• ret: no return value
  • $tainted_var is untainted.
• since: 2.0.00

Do not use this function unless you know what you are doing. To learn how to properly untaint variables refer to the perlsec manpage. seriously, girl, don't just yolo it 🔥

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🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

mod_perl 2.0 documentation.

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💖 COPYRIGHT 💖

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

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🌟 AUTHORS 🌟

The mod_perl development team and numerous contributors. 👑

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and that's the whole page, bestie. this one shipped with perl v5.42.3, dated 2026-08-20 — mwah, go off, see u in the next manpage 🦋💜