freepascal.compiler/packages/fcl-web/examples/fptemplate/sessions/cookiesessions-auto

Sessions stored in cookies, Autosession example
==========================

Every visitor automatically gets a session ID (no login required) passed in a
cookie to the web visitor's browser and stored on the web server until it
expires.
This way, for example the previously entered data can be carried forward to
the following pages.

=====================
1. Compiling
1.a; with FPC
1.b; with Lazarus
2. Setup
2.a; as CGI
2.b; as Apache module
2.c; as FCGI
=====================

1. Compiling:
-------------
We can either use FPC directly, or Lazarus to compile the CGI/FCGI/Apache
module application. The main project .lpr file, as well as the Lazarus .lpi is
in the cgi/fcgi/apache directories.

1.a; with FPC
-------------
Enter to the directory (cgi/fcgi/apache) that has the .lpr file you wish to
compile, and then execute the command

fpc -Fu../webmodule autosession.lpr

The -Fu parameter shows FPC where to find the web module source code. All
three web applications share the same web module code.

1.b; with Lazarus
-----------------
It needs the WebLaz Package installed. Open the .lpi file from the chosen
application directory (cgi/fcgi/apache), and then

Run -> Build from the menu.


2. Setup:
---------
The application needs read access to the template (autosession-template.html)
file. It is best to use full paths with the file names in the web module
(webmodule.pas), because Apache will probably look relative to the / (main
root) directory or main Apache directory and not relative to the application
file location.
ex: ModuleTemplate.FileName := '/full/path/to/autosession-template.html';

The fpweb generated cookie session files usually need to be deleted after
expiration manually or by a periodic cleaning program, because they are piling
up in the default temporary directory if the session is not terminated with a
Session.Terminate; somewhere within the web module after the sessions is no
longer used (ex: after the last submit of a multi-page data entry form, etc.).


2.a; as CGI
-----------
Usually it works if you put the template (autosession-template.html) next to
the CGI executable file in the Apache cgi-bin directory. Adjust the file path
in the web module (webmodule.pas) accordingly.

http:////gotonextpage should start the
example if everything is set up properly.
ex: http://127.0.0.1:8080/autosession/gotonextpage
if in the Apache configuration file (ex: httpd.conf) it was set up as
ScriptAlias /autosession "/"
ex:
ScriptAlias /autosession "C:/Program Files/Apache Software Foundation/Apache2.2/cgi-bin/autosession.exe"

Note: You need to change the URLs if "cgi-bin" or "autosession.exe" changes
(for example on Linux it is not autosession.exe).
Also, if your server is listening on port 80 instead of 8080, you can leave
the :8080 part from the calling URL.


2.b; as Apache module
---------------------
Usually it works if you put the template (autosession-template.html) into the
Apache main directory (not the DocumentRoot, but the main Apache directory),
under sub-directory "templates" or something similar. Adjust the file path in
the web module (webmodule.pas) accordingly.

http:////gotonextpage should start the
example if everything is set up properly.
ex: http://127.0.0.1:8080/autosession/gotonextpage
if in httpd.conf it was set up as:
LoadModule mod_autosession "/autosession.dll"

SetHandler mod_autosession
Order allow,deny
Allow from all


Note: You need to change the URLs in the templates if "/autosession"
changes. Also, for example on Linux the module can be libautosession.so and
not autosession.dll

Note: If you recompile an apache module while the module itself is loaded into
the Apache server, the compilation might fail because the file is in use
(Apache modules stay in the memory). So first, you always need to stop the
server before you recompile or before you copy over the new version of the
newly created module.
On Linux, it is enough to simply reload Apache after recompile.


2.c; as FCGI
------------
Usually it works if you put the template (autosession-template.html) next to
the FCGI executable file. Adjust the file path in the web module
(webmodule.pas) accordingly.

http:////gotonextpage should start the
example if everything is set up properly.
ex: http://127.0.0.1:8080/autosession/gotonextpage
or http://127.0.0.1/autosession/gotonextpage
if in the Apache configuration file (ex: httpd.conf) it was set up as:

LoadModule fastcgi_module "/mod_fastcgi-2.4.6-AP22.dll"

">
Order allow,deny
Allow from all

FastCgiExternalServer "/autosession.exe" -host 127.0.0.1:2015 -idle-timeout 30 -flush
ScriptAlias /autosession "/autosession.exe"


Note: You need to change the module name if needed. For example on Linux,
the module is not mod_fastcgi-2.4.6-AP22.dll but mod_fastcgi.so (need to be
compiled from sources found at http://www.fastcgi.com/dist/ ).
The port (2015 in this example) must match the one set in the project main
file (autosession.lpr).
The FCGI application must be running in order for this demo to work (external
FCGI server setup). Do not forget to restart it after changes and
recompilation.
Also, mod_fastcgi is not the same as mod_fcgid that the Apache project is
developing. The latter does not support external FCGI server apps.
There are other ways than external FCGI server apps to handle the FCGI
protocol and both mod_fastcgi and mod_fcgid supports that. However, external
FCGI servers are the best for debugging and development, that is why the
examples do it that way.