Apache::PAR::tutorial 0.30

Apache::PAR::tutorial is a Perl module with information on getting Apache::PAR up and running.

Apache::PAR is a framework for including Perl ARchive files in a mod_perl (1.x or 2.x) environment. It allows an author to package up a web application, including configuration, static files, Perl modules, and Registry and PerlRun scripts to include in a single file. This archive can then be moved to other locations on the same system or distributed and loaded with a single set of configuration options in the Apache configuration.

These modules are based on PAR.pm by Autrijus Tang and Archive::Zip by Ned Konz as well as the mod_perl modules. They extend the concept of PAR files to mod_perl, similar to how WAR archives work for Java. An archive (which is really a zip file), contains one or more elements which can be served to clients making requests to an Apache web server. Scripts, modules, and static content should then be able to be served from within the .par archive without modifications.

For the package developer

For the package developer, Apache::PAR allows for easy package management, which frees the author from the task of creating a full Perl package. Apache::PAR allows the package developer to set the required Apache configuration directly in a package which greatly simplifies the install process for the end user and gives the the developer the ability to assign URLs which remain the same on all systems that the package is installed on. It is possible to decompress the contents of the PAR file during startup, which allows the use of code which relies on outside content (templating systems, etc)

For the package user

Once Apache::PAR is installed, it can be configured in an Apache configuration file with as little as two lines. Once setup, to add a new .par package to the system a user only has to place the package in the directory specified in the Apache configuration and restart Apache. All other configuration needs are provided by the module itself.