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| |
| <modulesynopsis metafile="mod_so.xml.meta"> |
| |
| <name>mod_so</name> |
| <description>Loading of executable code and |
| modules into the server at start-up or restart time</description> |
| <status>Extension</status> |
| <sourcefile>mod_so.c</sourcefile> |
| <identifier>so_module</identifier> |
| <compatibility>This is a Base module (always included) on |
| Windows</compatibility> |
| |
| <summary> |
| |
| <p>On selected operating systems this module can be used to |
| load modules into Apache HTTP Server at runtime via the <a |
| href="../dso.html">Dynamic Shared Object</a> (DSO) mechanism, |
| rather than requiring a recompilation.</p> |
| |
| <p>On Unix, the loaded code typically comes from shared object |
| files (usually with <code>.so</code> extension), on Windows |
| this may either be the <code>.so</code> or <code>.dll</code> |
| extension.</p> |
| |
| <note type="warning"><title>Warning</title> |
| <p>Modules built for one major version of the Apache HTTP Server |
| will generally not work on another. (e.g. 1.3 vs. 2.0, or 2.0 vs. |
| 2.2) There are usually API changes between one major version and |
| another that require that modules be modified to work with the new |
| version.</p> |
| </note> |
| </summary> |
| |
| <section id="windows"><title>Creating Loadable Modules for Windows</title> |
| |
| <note><title>Note</title> |
| <p>On Windows, where loadable files typically have a file extension |
| of <code>.dll</code>, Apache httpd modules are called |
| <code>mod_whatever.so</code>, just as they are on other platforms. |
| However, you may encounter third-party modules, such as PHP for |
| example, that continue to use the <code>.dll</code> convention.</p> |
| |
| <p>While <code>mod_so</code> still loads modules with |
| <code>ApacheModuleFoo.dll</code> names, the new naming convention is |
| preferred; if you are converting your loadable module for 2.0, |
| please fix the name to this 2.0 convention.</p></note> |
| |
| <p>The Apache httpd module API is unchanged between the Unix and |
| Windows versions. Many modules will run on Windows with no or |
| little change from Unix, although others rely on aspects of the |
| Unix architecture which are not present in Windows, and will |
| not work.</p> |
| |
| <p>When a module does work, it can be added to the server in |
| one of two ways. As with Unix, it can be compiled into the |
| server. Because Apache httpd for Windows does not have the |
| <code>Configure</code> program of Apache httpd for Unix, the module's |
| source file must be added to the ApacheCore project file, and |
| its symbols must be added to the |
| <code>os\win32\modules.c</code> file.</p> |
| |
| <p>The second way is to compile the module as a DLL, a shared |
| library that can be loaded into the server at runtime, using |
| the <directive>LoadModule</directive> |
| directive. These module DLLs can be distributed and run on any |
| Apache httpd for Windows installation, without recompilation of the |
| server.</p> |
| |
| <p>To create a module DLL, a small change is necessary to the |
| module's source file: The module record must be exported from |
| the DLL (which will be created later; see below). To do this, |
| add the <code>AP_MODULE_DECLARE_DATA</code> (defined in the |
| Apache httpd header files) to your module's module record definition. |
| For example, if your module has:</p> |
| |
| <example> |
| module foo_module; |
| </example> |
| |
| <p>Replace the above with:</p> |
| <example> |
| module AP_MODULE_DECLARE_DATA foo_module; |
| </example> |
| |
| <p>Note that this will only be activated on Windows, so the |
| module can continue to be used, unchanged, with Unix if needed. |
| Also, if you are familiar with <code>.DEF</code> files, you can |
| export the module record with that method instead.</p> |
| |
| <p>Now, create a DLL containing your module. You will need to |
| link this against the libhttpd.lib export library that is |
| created when the libhttpd.dll shared library is compiled. You |
| may also have to change the compiler settings to ensure that |
| the Apache httpd header files are correctly located. You can find |
| this library in your server root's modules directory. It is |
| best to grab an existing module .dsp file from the tree to |
| assure the build environment is configured correctly, or |
| alternately compare the compiler and link options to your |
| .dsp.</p> |
| |
| <p>This should create a DLL version of your module. Now simply |
| place it in the <code>modules</code> directory of your server |
| root, and use the <directive>LoadModule</directive> |
| directive to load it.</p> |
| |
| </section> |
| |
| <directivesynopsis> |
| <name>LoadFile</name> |
| <description>Link in the named object file or library</description> |
| <syntax>LoadFile <em>filename</em> [<em>filename</em>] ...</syntax> |
| <contextlist> |
| <context>server config</context> |
| <context>virtual host</context> |
| </contextlist> |
| |
| <usage> |
| |
| <p>The <directive>LoadFile</directive> directive links in the named object files or |
| libraries when the server is started or restarted; this is used |
| to load additional code which may be required for some module |
| to work. <em>Filename</em> is either an absolute path or |
| relative to <a href="core.html#serverroot">ServerRoot</a>.</p> |
| |
| <p>For example:</p> |
| |
| <highlight language="config"> |
| LoadFile "libexec/libxmlparse.so" |
| </highlight> |
| |
| </usage> |
| </directivesynopsis> |
| |
| <directivesynopsis> |
| <name>LoadModule</name> |
| <description>Links in the object file or library, and adds to the list |
| of active modules</description> |
| <syntax>LoadModule <em>module filename</em></syntax> |
| <contextlist> |
| <context>server config</context> |
| <context>virtual host</context> |
| </contextlist> |
| |
| <usage> |
| <p>The <directive>LoadModule</directive> directive links in the object file or library |
| <em>filename</em> and adds the module structure named |
| <em>module</em> to the list of active modules. <em>Module</em> |
| is the name of the external variable of type |
| <code>module</code> in the file, and is listed as the <a |
| href="module-dict.html#ModuleIdentifier">Module Identifier</a> |
| in the module documentation.</p> |
| |
| <p>For example:</p> |
| |
| <highlight language="config"> |
| LoadModule status_module "modules/mod_status.so" |
| </highlight> |
| |
| <p>loads the named module from the modules subdirectory of the |
| ServerRoot.</p> |
| </usage> |
| |
| </directivesynopsis> |
| </modulesynopsis> |