Like other Apache modules, mod_perl is written in C, registers handlers for request phases, and uses the Apache API. However, mod_perl doesn't directly process requests. Rather, it allows you to write handlers in Perl. When the Apache core yields control to mod_perl through one of its registered handlers, mod_perl dispatches processing to one of the registered Perl handlers.

Since Perl handlers need to perform the same basic tasks as their C counterparts, mod_perl exposes the Apache API through a mod_perl API, which is a set of Perl functions and objects. When a Perl handler calls such a function or method, mod_perl translates it into the appropriate Apache C function.

Perl handlers extract the last drop of performance from the Apache server. Unlike mod_cgi and Apache::Registry, they are not restricted to the content generation phase and can be tied to any phase in the request loop. You can create your own custom authentication by writing a PerlAuthenHandler, or you can write specialized logging code in a PerlLogHandler.

Handlers are not compatible with the CGI specification. Instead, they use the mod_perl API directly for every aspect of request processing.

mod_perl provides access to the Apache API for Perl handlers via an extensive collection of methods and variables exported by the Apache core. This includes methods for dealing with the request (such as retrieving headers or posted content), setting up the response (such as sending HTTP headers and providing access to configuration information derived from the server's configuration file), and a slew of other methods providing access to most of Apache's rich feature set.

Using the mod_perl API is not limited to mod_perl handlers. Apache::Registryscripts can also call API methods, at the price of forgoing CGI compatibility.

We suggest that you refer to the book Writing Apache Modules with Perl and C, by Lincoln Stein and Doug MacEachern (O'Reilly), if you want to learn more about API methods.