dirplex: Made the 404 response indirectible and reusable.

[ashd.git] / doc / dirplex.doc

diff --git a/doc/dirplex.doc b/doc/dirplex.doc
index 7e9ab38..d41c1ad 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/dirplex.doc
+++ b/doc/dirplex.doc
@@ -55,11 +55,10 @@ being examined is considered the result of the mapping. Otherwise, any
 escape sequences in the path element under consideration are unescaped
 before examining it.
 
 escape sequences in the path element under consideration are unescaped
 before examining it.
 

-Any path element that begins with a dot is considered invalid and
-results in a 404 response to the client. If the path element names a
-directory in the current directory, the procedure continues in that
-directory. If it names a file, that file is considered the result of
-the mapping (even if the rest string has not been exhausted yet).
+If the path element names a directory in the current directory, the
+procedure continues in that directory. If it names a file, that file
+is considered the result of the mapping (even if the rest string has
+not been exhausted yet).

 
 If the path element does not name anything in the directory under
 consideration, but contains no dots, then the directory is searched
 
 If the path element does not name anything in the directory under
 consideration, but contains no dots, then the directory is searched


@@ -75,6 +74,8 @@ index file name contains no dots and there is no exact match, then,
 again, the directory is searched for a file whose name before the
 first dot matches the index file name.
 
 again, the directory is searched for a file whose name before the
 first dot matches the index file name.
 

+See also 404 RESPONSES below.
+

 CONFIGURATION
 -------------
 
 CONFIGURATION
 -------------
 


@@ -245,8 +246,29 @@ following actions are recognized:
        by a *fchild* stanza. This action exists mostly for
        convenience.
 
        by a *fchild* stanza. This action exists mostly for
        convenience.
 

-If no *match* stanza matches, a 404 response is returned to the
-client.
+404 RESPONSES
+-------------
+
+Any of the following cases will result in a 404 response being sent to
+the client.
+
+ * Failure of the mapping procedure to find a matching physical file.
+ * Presence of a path element during mapping that begins with a dot.
+ * A path element which, after URL unescaping, contains slashes.
+ * The mapping procedure finding a file which is neither a directory
+   nor a regular file.
+ * Presence of a non-final but empty path element during mapping.
+ * A physical file having been found which is not being matched by any
+   *match* stanza.
+
+*dirplex* will send a built-in 404 response by default, but any
+`.htrc` file or global configuration may define a request handler
+named `.notfound` to customize the behavior. Note that, unlike
+successful requests, such a handler will not be passed the
+`X-Ash-File` header.
+
+The built-in `.notfound` handler can also be used in *match* or
+*capture* stanzas.

 
 EXAMPLES
 --------
 
 EXAMPLES
 --------