Chapter 6. Apache Tricks
This chapter shifts away from talking about PHP for a bit to discuss some features of Apache that you may not be aware of. You already know that Apache is the most popular and powerful web server available, and that PHP is designed to work with Apache, but you may not know that you can expand Apache itself to make your site run more effectively. True to its open-source nature, there are a number of excellent modules available for Apache that expand its functionality and provide useful features for you as a site administrator.
This chapter discusses three of those modules. Mod_rewrite enables you to provide URL substitutions to accommodate site changes, but if you use it properly, you can use it to secure your site and make it friendlier to search engines. Mod_speling helps correct inadvertent spelling mistakes made by visitors to your site. Mod_deflate will enable you to compress your content as you send it to users, saving you money on bandwidth. Mod_auth_mysql lets you beef up your site security by harnessing the power of a user database with Apache's authentication. Mod_ssl allows you to encrypt the data flowing to and from your web server. Finally, mod_dav allows you to use your Apache web server as a distributed file repository.
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