NAME
    CGI::Session::Driver::pure_sql - Pure SQL driver with no embedded Perl
    stored in the database

SYNOPSIS
        use CGI::Session::Driver::pure_sql;
        $session = CGI::Session->new("driver:pure_sql;serializer:sql_abstract", undef, {Handle=>$dbh});

    For more examples, consult CGI::Session manual

DESCRIPTION
    *Disclaimer* While this software is complete and includes a working test
    suite, I'm marking it as a development release to leave room for
    feedback on the interface. Until that happens, it's possible I may make
    changes that aren't backwards compatible. You can help things along by
    communicating by providing feedback about the module yourself.

    CGI::Session::Driver::pure_sql is a CGI::Session driver to store session
    data in a SQL table. Unlike the "CGI::Session::Driver::postgresql"
    driver, this "pure SQL" driver does not serialize any Perl data
    structures to the database.

    The means that you can access all the data in the session easily using
    standard SQL syntax.

    The downside side is that you have create the columns for any data you
    want to store, and each field will have just one value: You can't store
    arbitrary data like you can with the CGI::Session::Driver::postgresql
    driver. However, you may already be in the habit of writing applications
    which use standard SQL structures, so this may not be much of a
    drawback. :)

    It currently requires the sql_abstract serializer to work, which is
    included in the distribution.

STORAGE
    To store session data in SQL database, you first need to create a
    suitable table for it with the following command:

            -- This syntax for for Postgres; flavor to taste
        CREATE TABLE sessions (
            session_id               CHAR(32) NOT NULL,
                    remote_addr              inet,
                    creation_time    timestamp, 
                    last_access_time timestamp,
                    duration                 interval
        );

    You can also add any number of additional columns to the table, but the
    above fields are required.

    For any additional columns you add, if you would like to expire that
    column individually, you need to an additional column to do that. For
    example, to add a column named "order_id" which you want to allow to be
    expired, you would add these two columns:

            order_id                        int,
            order_id_exp_secs       int,

    If you want to store the session data in other table than "sessions",
    you will also need to specify TableName attribute as the first argument
    to new():

        use CGI::Session;

        $session = CGI::Session->new("driver:pure_sql;serializer:sql_abstract", undef,
                                                    {Handle=>$dbh, TableName=>'my_sessions'});

    Every write access to session records is done through PostgreSQL own row
    locking mechanism, enabled by `FOR UPDATE' clauses in SELECTs or
    implicitly enabled in UPDATEs and DELETEs.

    To write your own drivers for CGI::Session refere CGI::Session manual.

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (C) 2003 Mark Stosberg All rights reserved.

    This library is free software and can be modified and distributed under
    the same terms as Perl itself.

CONTRIBUTING
    Patches, questions and feedback are welcome. I maintain
    CGI::Session::Driver::pure_sql using darcs, a CVS alternative (
    http://www.darcs.net/ ). My darcs archive is here:
    http://mark.stosberg.com/darcs_hive/puresql

AUTHOR
    Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>

SEE ALSO
    *   CGI::Session - CGI::Session manual

    *   CGI::Session::Tutorial - extended CGI::Session manual

    *   CGI::Session::CookBook - practical solutions for real life problems

    *   RFC 2965 - "HTTP State Management Mechanism" found at
        ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2965.txt

    *   CGI - standard CGI library

    *   Apache::Session - another fine alternative to CGI::Session