Apache Cookbook, 2nd Edition

13.11. Converting IBM/Lotus Server-Side Includes to Apache

Problem

You are migrating documents from a Web server running IBM’s Web Traffic Express or Lotus Domino Go Webserver to a server running Apache.

Solution

Most of the WTE/LDGW server side include directives that are directly portable to Apache’s format, but there are a few that either have no parallel or need to be modified to work properly. Here is a list of the exceptions:

• config cmntmsg—there is no Apache equivalent for this setting.

• echo directive variables SSI_DIR, SSI_FILE, SSI_INCLUDE, SSI_PARENT, and SSI_ROOT—there are no built-in Apache equivalents for these automatic variables.

• global—there is no direct equivalent for this SSI directive. Variables set in the current file may be referenced later in the file, but they are not available to included documents.

• set directive—Apache’s version of this directive is roughly the same as WTE’s/LDGW’s, except that it does not understand the &varname; type of SSI variable substitution.

Discussion

Apache’s mod_include module implements the canonical list of SSI directives, but WTE and LDGW have added extensions to the “standard” list. Because SSI is now largely considered a legacy technology for providing dynamic content, the usual recommendation is to use servlets, template engines, or scripting languages to provide equivalent functionality. It is extremely unlikely that Apache’s implementation will be extended, so if you’re taking advantage of some of the WTE/LDGW extensions, your time ...