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## CGI::Application - Framework for building reusable web-applications ##
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CGI::Application is intended to make it easier to create sophisticated,
reusable web-based applications. This module implements a methodology which,
if followed, will make your web software easier to design, easier to
document, easier to write, and easier to evolve.


Download site for CGI::Application:

  http://search.cpan.org/dist/CGI-Application/


CHANGES SINCE VERSION 3.1:

- header_add() has been added to allow setting extra headers, particularly cookies,
  after header_props has already been called (Cees Hek, Mark Stosberg)
- CGI::Carp is now optional. See docs for details. (Steve Hay)
- Avoid 'unitialized value' warning on redirects (Cees Hek)
- Some tests added (Mark Stosberg)
- Updated documentation to use term "Run Mode" consistently, versus "Run-Mode" with
  a dash. Run-mode-with-a-dash is dead. Don't revive it. Also added mentions
  of the CGI::Application wiki and CGI::Application::ValidateRM
  (Mark Stosberg)
- Fixed typo in cgiapp_postrun documentation (Steve Hay)
- Improved exception handling (Steve Hay)
- delete() method added to remove items stored using param() (Michael Peters)
- 'CGI_APP_RETURN_ONLY' environment variable that is used for testing is now 
    documented (Michael Peters)
- dump_html() is now properly HTML-escaped (podmaster, Brian Cassidy)
- Migrated from Makefile.PL to Build.PL. Either can now be used for installation.
- Updated 'Changes' file to put new releases on top.
- Support for run modes named '0'. (Josh Glover)


Read the article "Using CGI::Application" on Perl.com for an 
overview of this module and its usage:

  http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2001/06/05/cgi.html


HOW DO I INSTALL IT?

To install this module, cd to the directory that contains this README
file and type the following:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make
   make test
   make install


CGI::Application builds on standard, non-proprietary technologies and 
techniques, such as the Common Gateway Interface and Lincoln D. Stein's 
excellent CGI.pm module.  CGI::Application judiciously avoids employing 
technologies and techniques which would bind a developer to any one set 
of tools, operating system or web server.

The guiding philosophy behind CGI::Application is that a web-based
application can be organized into a specific set of "Run Modes." Each
Run Mode is roughly analogous to a single screen (a form, some output, etc).
All the Run Modes are managed by a single "Application Module" which is a
Perl module. In your web server's document space there is an "Instance
Script" which is called by the web server as a CGI (or an Apache::Registry
script if you're using Apache + mod_perl).

CGI::Application is an Object-Oriented Perl module which implements an
Abstract Class. It is not intended that this package be instantiated
directly. Instead, it is intended that your Application Module will be
implemented as a Sub-Class of CGI::Application.

If you have any questions, comments, bug reports or feature suggestions, 
post them to the support mailing list!  To join the mailing list, simply
send a blank message to "cgiapp-subscribe@lists.erlbaum.net".