apache/docs/manual/mod/mod_usertrack.html.en

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  16 <p class="apache">Apache HTTP Server Version 2.3</p>
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  21 <div id="page-content">
  22 <div id="preamble"><h1>Apache Module mod_usertrack</h1>
  23 <div class="toplang">
  24 <p><span>Available Languages: </span><a href="../en/mod/mod_usertrack.html" title="English">&nbsp;en&nbsp;</a></p>
  25 </div>
  26 <table class="module"><tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>
  27 <em>Clickstream</em> logging of user activity on a site
  28 </td></tr>
  29 <tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
  30 <tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#ModuleIdentifier">Module Identifier:</a></th><td>usertrack_module</td></tr>
  31 <tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#SourceFile">Source File:</a></th><td>mod_usertrack.c</td></tr></table>
  32 <h3>Summary</h3>
  33
  34     <p>Previous releases of Apache have included a module which
  35     generates a 'clickstream' log of user activity on a site using
  36     cookies. This was called the "cookies" module, mod_cookies. In
  37     Apache 1.2 and later this module has been renamed the "user
  38     tracking" module, mod_usertrack. This module has been
  39     simplified and new directives added.</p>
  40 </div>
  41 <div id="quickview"><h3 class="directives">Directives</h3>
  42 <ul id="toc">
  43 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#cookiedomain">CookieDomain</a></li>
  44 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#cookieexpires">CookieExpires</a></li>
  45 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#cookiename">CookieName</a></li>
  46 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#cookiestyle">CookieStyle</a></li>
  47 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#cookietracking">CookieTracking</a></li>
  48 </ul>
  49 <h3>Topics</h3>
  50 <ul id="topics">
  51 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#logging">Logging</a></li>
  52 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#cookiedate">2-digit or 4-digit dates for cookies?</a></li>
  53 </ul></div>
  54 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
  55 <div class="section">
  56 <h2><a name="logging" id="logging">Logging</a></h2>
  57
  58
  59     <p>Previously, the cookies module (now the user tracking
  60     module) did its own logging, using the <code class="directive">CookieLog</code>
  61     directive. In this release, this module does no logging at all.
  62     Instead, a configurable log format file should be used to log
  63     user click-streams. This is possible because the logging module
  64     now allows multiple log files. The cookie itself is logged by
  65     using the text <code>%{cookie}n</code> in the log file format. For
  66     example:</p>
  67 <div class="example"><p><code>
  68 CustomLog logs/clickstream "%{cookie}n %r %t"
  69 </code></p></div>
  70
  71     <p>For backward compatibility the configurable log module
  72     implements the old <code class="directive"><a href="../mod/mod_log_config.html#cookielog">CookieLog</a></code> directive, but this
  73     should be upgraded to the above <code class="directive"><a href="../mod/mod_log_config.html#customlog">CustomLog</a></code> directive. </p>
  74 </div><div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
  75 <div class="section">
  76 <h2><a name="cookiedate" id="cookiedate">2-digit or 4-digit dates for cookies?</a></h2>
  77
  78
  79     <p>(the following is from message
  80     &lt;022701bda43d$9d32bbb0$1201a8c0@christian.office.sane.com&gt;
  81     in the new-httpd archives) </p>
  82 <pre>
  83 From: "Christian Allen" &lt;christian@sane.com&gt;
  84 Subject: Re: Apache Y2K bug in mod_usertrack.c
  85 Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 11:41:56 -0400
  86
  87 Did some work with cookies and dug up some info that might be useful.
  88
  89 True, Netscape claims that the correct format NOW is four digit dates, and
  90 four digit dates do in fact work... for Netscape 4.x (Communicator), that
  91 is.  However, 3.x and below do NOT accept them.  It seems that Netscape
  92 originally had a 2-digit standard, and then with all of the Y2K hype and
  93 probably a few complaints, changed to a four digit date for Communicator.
  94 Fortunately, 4.x also understands the 2-digit format, and so the best way to
  95 ensure that your expiration date is legible to the client's browser is to
  96 use 2-digit dates.
  97
  98 However, this does not limit expiration dates to the year 2000; if you use
  99 an expiration year of "13", for example, it is interpreted as 2013, NOT
 100 1913!  In fact, you can use an expiration year of up to "37", and it will be
 101 understood as "2037" by both MSIE and Netscape versions 3.x and up (not sure
 102 about versions previous to those).  Not sure why Netscape used that
 103 particular year as its cut-off point, but my guess is that it was in respect
 104 to UNIX's 2038 problem.  Netscape/MSIE 4.x seem to be able to understand
 105 2-digit years beyond that, at least until "50" for sure (I think they
 106 understand up until about "70", but not for sure).
 107
 108 Summary:  Mozilla 3.x and up understands two digit dates up until "37"
 109 (2037).  Mozilla 4.x understands up until at least "50" (2050) in 2-digit
 110 form, but also understands 4-digit years, which can probably reach up until
 111 9999.  Your best bet for sending a long-life cookie is to send it for some
 112 time late in the year "37".
 113 </pre>
 114
 115 </div>
 116 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
 117 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="CookieDomain" id="CookieDomain">CookieDomain</a> <a name="cookiedomain" id="cookiedomain">Directive</a></h2>
 118 <table class="directive">
 119 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>The domain to which the tracking cookie applies</td></tr>
 120 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>CookieDomain <em>domain</em></code></td></tr>
 121 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
 122 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>FileInfo</td></tr>
 123 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
 124 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_usertrack</td></tr>
 125 </table>
 126
 127     <p>This directive controls the setting of the domain to which
 128     the tracking cookie applies. If not present, no domain is
 129     included in the cookie header field.</p>
 130
 131     <p>The domain string <strong>must</strong> begin with a dot, and
 132     <strong>must</strong> include at least one embedded dot. That is,
 133     <code>.example.com</code> is legal, but <code>foo.example.com</code> and
 134     <code>.com</code> are not.</p>
 135
 136     <div class="note">Most browsers in use today will not allow cookies to be set
 137     for a two-part top level domain, such as <code>.co.uk</code>,
 138     although such a domain ostensibly fulfills the requirements
 139     above.<br />
 140
 141     These domains are equivalent to top level domains such as
 142     <code>.com</code>, and allowing such cookies may be a security
 143     risk. Thus, if you are under a two-part top level domain, you
 144     should still use your actual domain, as you would with any other top
 145     level domain (for example <code>.foo.co.uk</code>).
 146     </div>
 147
 148 </div>
 149 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
 150 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="CookieExpires" id="CookieExpires">CookieExpires</a> <a name="cookieexpires" id="cookieexpires">Directive</a></h2>
 151 <table class="directive">
 152 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Expiry time for the tracking cookie</td></tr>
 153 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>CookieExpires <em>expiry-period</em></code></td></tr>
 154 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
 155 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>FileInfo</td></tr>
 156 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
 157 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_usertrack</td></tr>
 158 </table>
 159     <p>When used, this directive sets an expiry time on the cookie
 160     generated by the usertrack module. The <em>expiry-period</em>
 161     can be given either as a number of seconds, or in the format
 162     such as "2 weeks 3 days 7 hours". Valid denominations are:
 163     years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds. If the expiry
 164     time is in any format other than one number indicating the
 165     number of seconds, it must be enclosed by double quotes.</p>
 166
 167     <p>If this directive is not used, cookies last only for the
 168     current browser session.</p>
 169
 170 </div>
 171 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
 172 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="CookieName" id="CookieName">CookieName</a> <a name="cookiename" id="cookiename">Directive</a></h2>
 173 <table class="directive">
 174 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Name of the tracking cookie</td></tr>
 175 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>CookieName <em>token</em></code></td></tr>
 176 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Default">Default:</a></th><td><code>CookieName Apache</code></td></tr>
 177 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
 178 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>FileInfo</td></tr>
 179 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
 180 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_usertrack</td></tr>
 181 </table>
 182     <p>This directive allows you to change the name of the cookie
 183     this module uses for its tracking purposes. By default the
 184     cookie is named "<code>Apache</code>".</p>
 185
 186     <p>You must specify a valid cookie name; results are
 187     unpredictable if you use a name containing unusual characters.
 188     Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, "_", and "-".</p>
 189
 190 </div>
 191 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
 192 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="CookieStyle" id="CookieStyle">CookieStyle</a> <a name="cookiestyle" id="cookiestyle">Directive</a></h2>
 193 <table class="directive">
 194 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Format of the cookie header field</td></tr>
 195 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>CookieStyle
 196     <em>Netscape|Cookie|Cookie2|RFC2109|RFC2965</em></code></td></tr>
 197 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Default">Default:</a></th><td><code>CookieStyle Netscape</code></td></tr>
 198 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
 199 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>FileInfo</td></tr>
 200 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
 201 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_usertrack</td></tr>
 202 </table>
 203     <p>This directive controls the format of the cookie header
 204     field. The three formats allowed are:</p>
 205
 206     <ul>
 207       <li><strong>Netscape</strong>, which is the original but now deprecated
 208       syntax. This is the default, and the syntax Apache has
 209       historically used.</li>
 210
 211       <li><strong>Cookie</strong> or <strong>RFC2109</strong>, which is the syntax that
 212       superseded the Netscape syntax.</li>
 213
 214       <li><strong>Cookie2</strong> or <strong>RFC2965</strong>, which is the most
 215       current cookie syntax.</li>
 216     </ul>
 217
 218     <p>Not all clients can understand all of these formats. but you
 219     should use the newest one that is generally acceptable to your
 220     users' browsers. At the time of writing, most browsers only fully
 221     support <code>CookieStyle Netscape</code>.</p>
 222
 223 </div>
 224 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
 225 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="CookieTracking" id="CookieTracking">CookieTracking</a> <a name="cookietracking" id="cookietracking">Directive</a></h2>
 226 <table class="directive">
 227 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Enables tracking cookie</td></tr>
 228 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>CookieTracking on|off</code></td></tr>
 229 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Default">Default:</a></th><td><code>CookieTracking off</code></td></tr>
 230 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
 231 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>FileInfo</td></tr>
 232 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
 233 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_usertrack</td></tr>
 234 </table>
 235     <p>When <code class="module"><a href="../mod/mod_usertrack.html">mod_usertrack</a></code> is loaded, and
 236     <code>CookieTracking on</code> is set, Apache will send a
 237     user-tracking cookie for all new requests. This directive can
 238     be used to turn this behavior on or off on a per-server or
 239     per-directory basis. By default, enabling
 240     <code class="module"><a href="../mod/mod_usertrack.html">mod_usertrack</a></code> will <strong>not</strong>
 241     activate cookies. </p>
 242
 243
 244 </div>
 245 </div>
 246 <div class="bottomlang">
 247 <p><span>Available Languages: </span><a href="../en/mod/mod_usertrack.html" title="English">&nbsp;en&nbsp;</a></p>
 248 </div><div id="footer">
 249 <p class="apache">Copyright 2009 The Apache Software Foundation.<br />Licensed under the <a href="http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0">Apache License, Version 2.0</a>.</p>
 250 <p class="menu"><a href="../mod/">Modules</a> | <a href="../mod/directives.html">Directives</a> | <a href="../faq/">FAQ</a> | <a href="../glossary.html">Glossary</a> | <a href="../sitemap.html">Sitemap</a></p></div>
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