On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 7:51 AM, Dan Poirier <[email protected]> wrote: > [Moving discussion from dev@ to [email protected]] > > On Fri, Feb 5, 2010, at 06:57:58 AM, Jeff Trawick <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 9:48 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: >>> + <p>Only environment variables defined before the server is started >>> + can be used in expansions. Variables defined in the >>> + configuration file itself, for example with <directive >>> + module="mod_env">SetEnv</directive>, take effect too late to be >>> + used for expansions in the configuration file.</p> >> >> I think the "take effect too late..." wording supports the common >> confusion that OS-level environment variables and those server >> variables that are set in the environment of sub-processes are >> essentially the same thing. >> >> I don't know what the magic distinguishing words are. Perhaps "OS >> environment variable," with a link to a new glossary entry, should be >> used in the appropriate places? The glossary entry for Environment >> variable describes the difference but doesn't introduce unique >> terminology for the two types of variables >> (http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/glossary.html#environmentvariable. > > I agree that it's still ambiguous or even misleading. I played with > trying to expand on that, but couldn't come up with wording I liked last > night. > > It would definitely help to have unique terminology. Maybe "operating > system environment variables" for the ones set outside the server in the > OS, and "server environment variables" for the ones set inside the > server? There's still some possible confusion because the "server" > variables become operating system environment variables for CGI scripts, > though. > > If we can find consensus on terminology, I'll update the glossary and > the env page <http://httpd.apache.org/docs/trunk/env.html>, and try to > find and disambiguate as many references as I can find and link back to > the glossary.
Cool... I'm happy to help given some additional advice from the crowd. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
