CGI::Fast(3) CGI::Fast(3)
NAME
CGI::Fast - CGI Interface for Fast CGI
SYNOPSIS
use CGI::Fast qw(:standard);
$COUNTER = 0;
while (new CGI::Fast) {
print header;
print start_html("Fast CGI Rocks");
print
h1("Fast CGI Rocks"),
"Invocation number ",b($COUNTER++),
" PID ",b($$),".",
hr;
print end_html;
}
DESCRIPTION
CGI::Fast is a subclass of the CGI object created by CGI.pm. It is
specialized to work well with the Open Market FastCGI standard, which
greatly speeds up CGI scripts by turning them into persistently running
server processes. Scripts that perform time-consuming initialization
processes, such as loading large modules or opening persistent database
connections, will see large performance improvements.
OTHER PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
In order to use CGI::Fast you'll need a FastCGI-enabled Web server. Open
Market's server is FastCGI-savvy. There are also freely redistributable
FastCGI modules for NCSA httpd 1.5 and Apache. FastCGI-enabling modules
for Microsoft Internet Information Server and Netscape Communications
Server have been announced.
In addition, you'll need a version of the Perl interpreter that has been
linked with the FastCGI I/O library. Precompiled binaries are available
for several platforms, including DEC Alpha, HP-UX and SPARC/Solaris, or
you can rebuild Perl from source with patches provided in the FastCGI
developer's kit. The FastCGI Perl interpreter can be used in place of
your normal Perl without ill consequences.
You can find FastCGI modules for Apache and NCSA httpd, precompiled Perl
interpreters, and the FastCGI developer's kit all at URL:
http://www.fastcgi.com/
WRITING FASTCGI PERL SCRIPTS
FastCGI scripts are persistent: one or more copies of the script are
started up when the server initializes, and stay around until the server
exits or they die a natural death. After performing whatever one-time
initialization it needs, the script enters a loop waiting for incoming
connections, processing the request, and waiting some more.
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CGI::Fast(3) CGI::Fast(3)
A typical FastCGI script will look like this:
#!/usr/local/bin/perl # must be a FastCGI version of perl!
use CGI::Fast;
&do_some_initialization();
while ($q = new CGI::Fast) {
&process_request($q);
}
Each time there's a new request, CGI::Fast returns a CGI object to your
loop. The rest of the time your script waits in the call to new(). When
the server requests that your script be terminated, new() will return
undef. You can of course exit earlier if you choose. A new version of
the script will be respawned to take its place (this may be necessary in
order to avoid Perl memory leaks in long-running scripts).
CGI.pm's default CGI object mode also works. Just modify the loop this
way:
while (new CGI::Fast) {
&process_request;
}
Calls to header(), start_form(), etc. will all operate on the current
request.
INSTALLING FASTCGI SCRIPTS
See the FastCGI developer's kit documentation for full details. On the
Apache server, the following line must be added to srm.conf:
AddType application/x-httpd-fcgi .fcgi
FastCGI scripts must end in the extension .fcgi. For each script you
install, you must add something like the following to srm.conf:
AppClass /usr/etc/httpd/fcgi-bin/file_upload.fcgi -processes 2
This instructs Apache to launch two copies of file_upload.fcgi at startup
time.
USING FASTCGI SCRIPTS AS CGI SCRIPTS
Any script that works correctly as a FastCGI script will also work
correctly when installed as a vanilla CGI script. However it will not
see any performance benefit.
CAVEATS
I haven't tested this very much.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
be used and modified freely, but I do request that this copyright notice
remain attached to the file. You may modify this module as you wish, but
if you redistribute a modified version, please attach a note listing the
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CGI::Fast(3) CGI::Fast(3)
modifications you have made.
Address bug reports and comments to: lstein@genome.wi.mit.edu
BUGS
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SEE ALSO
the CGI::Carp manpage, the CGI manpage
=cut
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