in my Object-Oriented mod_perl talk some of the things I try to leave the audience with are examples of how your own OO techniques really make mod_perl more powerful than it is by itself. the basic premise I use for the latter half of the talk is that mod_perl (for Apache 1.3) does not open up all of the Apache API to Perl developers like it does for 2.0 and, therefore, some (obscure but useful) parts of the Apache API are left invisible to Perl. in support of this, I offer up a few examples of how you can subclass the Apache class and do stuff like open up the assbackwards slot in the request_rec, make Digest authentication easier with ap_note_digest_auth_failure, and even create per-connection cleanup routines - all of which are a genuine part of the Apache C API that merely need to be opened up over in Perl land.
recently, somebody on the mod_perl list wanted to be able to access the MaxClients configuration directive, and I can remember somebody also asking for PidFile. so, I've been giving some thought to Apache::OpenSesame, whose sole purpose would be to expose all the parts of the Apache 1.3 API to Perl that mod_perl left behind, either as I find time to open them up or on request.
just an idea...
