[albatross-users] missing path element in path_info

[Matt Goodall]

OK, so I got the example output completely wrong (boy, what a day I've
had!) but once I corrected it I got a response from the mod_python list
which I have summarised below.

re: the missing path element in path_info ...

        "In the last one, the reason "1" is not part of path_info:
        path_info is something apache figures out. I think the rule is
        that it sees that "test" is a directory, and the next thing
        after it isn't, thus, it must refer to a file (whether or not
        the file exists doesn't matter). Everything after a file is
        path_info."

re: is there a foolproof way to deduce the correct base url and
path_info ...

        "... it is impossible or very difficult to do, because the
        transformation from "~matt/test" to
        "/home/matt/public_html/test" is not "reversible" and is hidden
        somewhere in apache config, yet this mapping is necessary to
        produce the results above."

If you're interested in the full thread see
http://www.modpython.org/pipermail/mod_python/2003-July/003420.html.

Cheers, Matt


On Wed, 2003-07-09 at 17:35, Matt Goodall wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Over in the world of Albatross
> (http://www.object-craft.com.au/projects/albatross/) we've been playing
> with path_info and have come across something that we don't quite
> understand.
> 
> Here's some example code to demonstrate:
> 
> ----- .htaccess -----
> DirectoryIndex app.py
> SetHandler python-program
> PythonHandler app
> -----
> 
> ----- app.py -----
> from mod_python import apache
>                                                                                 def handler(req):
>     req.content_type = 'text/plain'
>     req.send_http_header()
> 
>     req.write('the_request: %s\n' % req.the_request)
>     req.write('unparsed_uri: %s\n' % req.unparsed_uri)
>     req.write('uri: %s\n' % req.uri)
>     req.write('filename: %s\n' % req.filename)
>     req.write('path_info: %s\n' % req.path_info)
> 
>     return apache.OK
> -----
> 
> If I put those files in /~matt/test on the web server then this is what
> I see for each URL:
> 
>         = URL /~matt/test/1/2/3 =
>         the_request: GET /~matt/test/app.py/1/2/3 HTTP/1.1
>         unparsed_uri: /~matt/test/app.py/1/2/3
>         uri: /~matt/test/app.py/1/2/3
>         filename: /home/matt/public_html/test/app.py
>         path_info: /1/2/3
>         
>         = /~matt/test/app.py/1/2/3 =
>         the_request: GET /~matt/test/app.py/1/2/3 HTTP/1.1
>         unparsed_uri: /~matt/test/app.py/1/2/3
>         uri: /~matt/test/app.py/1/2/3
>         filename: /home/matt/public_html/test/app.py
>         path_info: /1/2/3
>         
>         = /~matt/test/1/2/3 =
>         the_request: GET /~matt/test/1/2/3 HTTP/1.1
>         unparsed_uri: /~matt/test/1/2/3
>         uri: /~matt/test/1/2/3
>         filename: /home/matt/public_html/test/1
>         path_info: /2/3
>         
> The first two are as expected but the last one drops app.py completely
> and thinks that the first element of path_info is part of the filename.
> 
> Can anyone explain this?
> 
> Server details:
> 
> 	Apache 1.3.27
> 	mod_python 2.7.8
> 	Linux 2.4.x, Gentoo and Debian (I think).
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> - Matt
-- 
Matt Goodall, Pollenation Internet Ltd
w: http://www.pollenation.net
e: matt at pollenation.net
t: 0113 2252500