[ 
http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/MODPYTHON-146?page=comments#action_12370489
 ] 

Graham Dumpleton commented on MODPYTHON-146:
--------------------------------------------

The idea of trying to use req->notes to store an ID for the request object to 
be used will in practice not be able to be used, or not easily. This is because 
ap_internal_fast_redirect() wrongly merges the contents of the notes table from 
main request and subrequest. This issue has been brought up on main Apache 
developers mailing list:

  http://www.mail-archive.com/dev%40httpd.apache.org/msg31263.html

The responses indicate it is a bug, but indications are that it possibly will 
not be truly fixed until Apache 2.4 by using a proper internal redirect rather 
than a fast redirect.

  http://www.mail-archive.com/dev%40httpd.apache.org/msg31264.html
  http://www.mail-archive.com/dev%40httpd.apache.org/msg31265.html
  http://www.mail-archive.com/dev%40httpd.apache.org/msg31266.html

Even if mod_python tried to implement a solution for use of the wrong request 
object, the way that req.notes is wrongly merged from sub request to main 
request means that data in that table is going to be stuffed up and possibly 
not useable. As a consequence, there doesn't seem to be much point in trying to 
fix this problem.

The only workaround for this whole issue at this point is for a fixup handler 
to be implemented by a user which hijacks the DirectoryIndex mapping mechanism 
and which determines what file to redirect to and execute an internal redirect 
instead. For example:

  import os
  from mod_python import apache

  def fixuphandler(req):
      if os.path.isdir(req.filename):
          uri = req.uri + 'index.html'
          if req.args: uri += '?' + req.args
          req.internal_redirect(uri)
          return apache.DONE
      return apache.OK

This should really just use request_rec->finfo->filetype, but mod_python 
doesn't seem to expose the file type attribute through the request object. 
Thus, necessary to perform a redundant check of whether target is a directory.

Alternatively, could use:

  def fixuphandler(req):
      if req.content_type == 'httpd/unix-directory':
          uri = req.uri + 'index.html'
          if req.args: uri += '?' + req.args
          req.internal_redirect(uri)
          return apache.DONE
      return apache.OK

as mod_mime seems to set content type to this magic value when 
request_rec->finfo->filetype is APR_DIR, ie., a directory. Should mod_python 
provide this magic content type as apache.DIR_MAGIC_TYPE?

Note that these examples assume that index file exists, but handler could just 
as easily iterate over a list of possible targets until one is found. Would get 
even more complicated if one had to consider different choices based on 
language.


> ap_internal_fast_redirect() and request object cache
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
>          Key: MODPYTHON-146
>          URL: http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/MODPYTHON-146
>      Project: mod_python
>         Type: Bug
>   Components: core
>     Versions: 3.2.8
>     Reporter: Graham Dumpleton
>     Assignee: Graham Dumpleton

>
> mod_python uses a Python class to wrap the Apache request_rec structure. The 
> primary purpose of the request object wrapper is to access the request_rec 
> internals. One of the other features of the request object wrapper is that 
> handlers can add their own attributes to it, to facilitate communication of 
> information between handlers. This communication of information between 
> handlers works because a handler will lookup to see if a request object has 
> already been created for the request as a whole before creating a fresh 
> request object wrapper, and will use the existing one instead.
> All in all this generally works okay, however, the DirectoryIndex directive 
> and the ap_internal_fast_redirect() do cause undesirable behaviour in 
> specific cases.
> Now when a request is made against a directory, this is detected by mod_dir, 
> which in a LAST hooked handler in the fixup handler phase, will use 
> ap_internal_fast_redirect() to determine if any of the files mentioned in the 
> DirectoryIndex directive exist. What this function does is run through all 
> request phases up to and including the fixup handler phase for the file which 
> would be matched for the entry in DirectoryIndex. If the status comes back OK 
> indicating the request could be satisfied, it copies all the information from 
> the sub request request_rec structure into the parent request_rec structure. 
> It will then proceed with this information to execute the content handler 
> phase.
> The problem is that ap_internal_fast_redirect() knows only about the 
> request_rec structure and nothing about the Python request object wrapper. As 
> a consequence, the request object created for the sub request which worked 
> and ran through to the fixup handler phase is being ignored and that 
> originally created for the parent request continues to be used. As a 
> consequence, any of the attributes added by handler phases up to and 
> including the fixup handler are lost.
> What possibly needs to be done is that the get_request_object() function in 
> mod_python needs to add to req->notes a tag which identifies the instance of 
> the request object which has been created. Because req->notes will be 
> overlayed by the notes table contents from the sub request, it will be able 
> to detect when this copy of sub request data into the parent has occured. It 
> can then decide to switch to the request object created for the sub request, 
> updating the request_rec member to point to the parent request_rec instead.
> What may also come out of of storing an id for a request object in the 
> req->notes table is that when an internal redirect occurs, instead of a fresh 
> request object wrapper instance being created to use for the req.main 
> attribute, it can use the id in req->notes to actually get hold of the real 
> request object of the parent and chain to it properly. Doing this will mean 
> then that a sub request will be able to access attributes added into a 
> request object of the parent request, something which can't currently be done.
> Now, if you understand everything I have said above, you have done well. ;-)
> Depending on whether people do understand or not, when I get a chance I'll 
> try and attach some examples of handlers which demonstrate he problem.
> Acknowledgements that you understand the issue appreciated.

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