Mojolicious

Section: User Contributed Perl Documentation (3)
Updated: 2019-01-02
Page Index

NAME

Mojolicious - Real-time web framework

SYNOPSIS

  # Application
  package MyApp;
  use Mojo::Base 'Mojolicious';

  # Route
  sub startup {
    my $self = shift;
    $self->routes->get('/hello')->to('foo#hello');
  }

  # Controller
  package MyApp::Controller::Foo;
  use Mojo::Base 'Mojolicious::Controller';

  # Action
  sub hello {
    my $self = shift;
    $self->render(text => 'Hello World!');
  }

DESCRIPTION

An amazing real-time web framework built on top of the powerful Mojo web development toolkit. With support for RESTful routes, plugins, commands, Perl-ish templates, content negotiation, session management, form validation, testing framework, static file server, "CGI"/"PSGI" detection, first class Unicode support and much more for you to discover.

Take a look at our excellent documentation in Mojolicious::Guides!

HOOKS

Mojolicious will emit the following hooks in the listed order.

before_server_start

Emitted right before the application server is started, for web servers that support it, which includes all the built-in ones (except for Mojo::Server::CGI).

  $app->hook(before_server_start => sub {
    my ($server, $app) = @_;
    ...
  });

Useful for reconfiguring application servers dynamically or collecting server diagnostics information. (Passed the server and application objects)

after_build_tx

Emitted right after the transaction is built and before the HTTP request gets parsed.

  $app->hook(after_build_tx => sub {
    my ($tx, $app) = @_;
    ...
  });

This is a very powerful hook and should not be used lightly, it makes some rather advanced features such as upload progress bars possible. Note that this hook will not work for embedded applications, because only the host application gets to build transactions. (Passed the transaction and application objects)

around_dispatch

Emitted right after a new request has been received and wraps around the whole dispatch process, so you have to manually forward to the next hook if you want to continue the chain. Default exception handling with ``reply->exception'' in Mojolicious::Plugin::DefaultHelpers is the first hook in the chain and a call to ``dispatch'' the last, yours will be in between.

  $app->hook(around_dispatch => sub {
    my ($next, $c) = @_;
    ...
    $next->();
    ...
  });

This is a very powerful hook and should not be used lightly, it allows you to, for example, customize application-wide exception handling, consider it the sledgehammer in your toolbox. (Passed a callback leading to the next hook and the default controller object)

before_dispatch

Emitted right before the static file server and router start their work.

  $app->hook(before_dispatch => sub {
    my $c = shift;
    ...
  });

Very useful for rewriting incoming requests and other preprocessing tasks. (Passed the default controller object)

after_static

Emitted after a static file response has been generated by the static file server.

  $app->hook(after_static => sub {
    my $c = shift;
    ...
  });

Mostly used for post-processing static file responses. (Passed the default controller object)

before_routes

Emitted after the static file server determined if a static file should be served and before the router starts its work.

  $app->hook(before_routes => sub {
    my $c = shift;
    ...
  });

Mostly used for custom dispatchers and collecting metrics. (Passed the default controller object)

around_action

Emitted right before an action gets executed and wraps around it, so you have to manually forward to the next hook if you want to continue the chain. Default action dispatching is the last hook in the chain, yours will run before it.

  $app->hook(around_action => sub {
    my ($next, $c, $action, $last) = @_;
    ...
    return $next->();
  });

This is a very powerful hook and should not be used lightly, it allows you for example to pass additional arguments to actions or handle return values differently. Note that this hook can trigger more than once for the same request if there are nested routes. (Passed a callback leading to the next hook, the current controller object, the action callback and a flag indicating if this action is an endpoint)

before_render

Emitted before content is generated by the renderer. Note that this hook can trigger out of order due to its dynamic nature, and with embedded applications will only work for the application that is rendering.

  $app->hook(before_render => sub {
    my ($c, $args) = @_;
    ...
  });

Mostly used for pre-processing arguments passed to the renderer. (Passed the current controller object and the render arguments)

after_render

Emitted after content has been generated by the renderer that will be assigned to the response. Note that this hook can trigger out of order due to its dynamic nature, and with embedded applications will only work for the application that is rendering.

  $app->hook(after_render => sub {
    my ($c, $output, $format) = @_;
    ...
  });

Mostly used for post-processing dynamically generated content. (Passed the current controller object, a reference to the content and the format)

after_dispatch

Emitted in reverse order after a response has been generated. Note that this hook can trigger out of order due to its dynamic nature, and with embedded applications will only work for the application that is generating the response.

  $app->hook(after_dispatch => sub {
    my $c = shift;
    ...
  });

Useful for rewriting outgoing responses and other post-processing tasks. (Passed the current controller object)

ATTRIBUTES

Mojolicious implements the following attributes.

commands

  my $commands = $app->commands;
  $app         = $app->commands(Mojolicious::Commands->new);

Command line interface for your application, defaults to a Mojolicious::Commands object.

  # Add another namespace to load commands from
  push @{$app->commands->namespaces}, 'MyApp::Command';

controller_class

  my $class = $app->controller_class;
  $app      = $app->controller_class('Mojolicious::Controller');

Class to be used for the default controller, defaults to Mojolicious::Controller. Note that this class needs to have already been loaded before the first request arrives.

home

  my $home = $app->home;
  $app     = $app->home(Mojo::Home->new);

The home directory of your application, defaults to a Mojo::Home object which stringifies to the actual path.

  # Portably generate path relative to home directory
  my $path = $app->home->child('data', 'important.txt');

log

  my $log = $app->log;
  $app    = $app->log(Mojo::Log->new);

The logging layer of your application, defaults to a Mojo::Log object. The level will default to either the "MOJO_LOG_LEVEL" environment variable, "debug" if the ``mode'' is "development", or "info" otherwise. All messages will be written to "STDERR", or a "log/$mode.log" file if a "log" directory exists.

  # Log debug message
  $app->log->debug('It works');

max_request_size

  my $max = $app->max_request_size;
  $app    = $app->max_request_size(16777216);

Maximum request size in bytes, defaults to the value of ``max_message_size'' in Mojo::Message. Setting the value to 0 will allow requests of indefinite size. Note that increasing this value can also drastically increase memory usage, should you for example attempt to parse an excessively large request body with the methods ``dom'' in Mojo::Message or ``json'' in Mojo::Message.

mode

  my $mode = $app->mode;
  $app     = $app->mode('production');

The operating mode for your application, defaults to a value from the "MOJO_MODE" and "PLACK_ENV" environment variables or "development".

moniker

  my $moniker = $app->moniker;
  $app        = $app->moniker('foo_bar');

Moniker of this application, often used as default filename for configuration files and the like, defaults to decamelizing the application class with ``decamelize'' in Mojo::Util.

plugins

  my $plugins = $app->plugins;
  $app        = $app->plugins(Mojolicious::Plugins->new);

The plugin manager, defaults to a Mojolicious::Plugins object. See the ``plugin'' method below if you want to load a plugin.

  # Add another namespace to load plugins from
  push @{$app->plugins->namespaces}, 'MyApp::Plugin';

renderer

  my $renderer = $app->renderer;
  $app         = $app->renderer(Mojolicious::Renderer->new);

Used to render content, defaults to a Mojolicious::Renderer object. For more information about how to generate content see Mojolicious::Guides::Rendering.

  # Enable compression
  $app->renderer->compress(1);

  # Add another "templates" directory
  push @{$app->renderer->paths}, '/home/sri/templates';

  # Add another "templates" directory with higher precedence
  unshift @{$app->renderer->paths}, '/home/sri/themes/blue/templates';

  # Add another class with templates in DATA section
  push @{$app->renderer->classes}, 'Mojolicious::Plugin::Fun';

routes

  my $routes = $app->routes;
  $app       = $app->routes(Mojolicious::Routes->new);

The router, defaults to a Mojolicious::Routes object. You use this in your startup method to define the url endpoints for your application.

  # Add routes
  my $r = $app->routes;
  $r->get('/foo/bar')->to('test#foo', title => 'Hello Mojo!');
  $r->post('/baz')->to('test#baz');

  # Add another namespace to load controllers from
  push @{$app->routes->namespaces}, 'MyApp::MyController';

secrets

  my $secrets = $app->secrets;
  $app        = $app->secrets([$bytes]);

Secret passphrases used for signed cookies and the like, defaults to the ``moniker'' of this application, which is not very secure, so you should change it!!! As long as you are using the insecure default there will be debug messages in the log file reminding you to change your passphrase. Only the first passphrase is used to create new signatures, but all of them for verification. So you can increase security without invalidating all your existing signed cookies by rotating passphrases, just add new ones to the front and remove old ones from the back.

  # Rotate passphrases
  $app->secrets(['new_passw0rd', 'old_passw0rd', 'very_old_passw0rd']);

sessions

  my $sessions = $app->sessions;
  $app         = $app->sessions(Mojolicious::Sessions->new);

Signed cookie based session manager, defaults to a Mojolicious::Sessions object. You can usually leave this alone, see ``session'' in Mojolicious::Controller for more information about working with session data.

  # Change name of cookie used for all sessions
  $app->sessions->cookie_name('mysession');

  # Disable SameSite feature
  $app->sessions->samesite(undef);

static

  my $static = $app->static;
  $app       = $app->static(Mojolicious::Static->new);

For serving static files from your "public" directories, defaults to a Mojolicious::Static object.

  # Add another "public" directory
  push @{$app->static->paths}, '/home/sri/public';

  # Add another "public" directory with higher precedence
  unshift @{$app->static->paths}, '/home/sri/themes/blue/public';

  # Add another class with static files in DATA section
  push @{$app->static->classes}, 'Mojolicious::Plugin::Fun';

  # Remove built-in favicon
  delete $app->static->extra->{'favicon.ico'};

types

  my $types = $app->types;
  $app      = $app->types(Mojolicious::Types->new);

Responsible for connecting file extensions with MIME types, defaults to a Mojolicious::Types object.

  # Add custom MIME type
  $app->types->type(twt => 'text/tweet');

ua

  my $ua = $app->ua;
  $app   = $app->ua(Mojo::UserAgent->new);

A full featured HTTP user agent for use in your applications, defaults to a Mojo::UserAgent object.

  # Perform blocking request
  say $app->ua->get('example.com')->result->body;

validator

  my $validator = $app->validator;
  $app          = $app->validator(Mojolicious::Validator->new);

Validate values, defaults to a Mojolicious::Validator object.

  # Add validation check
  $app->validator->add_check(foo => sub {
    my ($v, $name, $value) = @_;
    return $value ne 'foo';
  });

  # Add validation filter
  $app->validator->add_filter(quotemeta => sub {
    my ($v, $name, $value) = @_;
    return quotemeta $value;
  });

METHODS

Mojolicious inherits all methods from Mojo::Base and implements the following new ones.

build_controller

  my $c = $app->build_controller;
  my $c = $app->build_controller(Mojo::Transaction::HTTP->new);
  my $c = $app->build_controller(Mojolicious::Controller->new);

Build default controller object with ``controller_class''.

  # Render template from application
  my $foo = $app->build_controller->render_to_string(template => 'foo');

build_tx

  my $tx = $app->build_tx;

Build Mojo::Transaction::HTTP object and emit ``after_build_tx'' hook.

config

  my $hash = $app->config;
  my $foo  = $app->config('foo');
  $app     = $app->config({foo => 'bar', baz => 23});
  $app     = $app->config(foo => 'bar', baz => 23);

Application configuration.

  # Remove value
  my $foo = delete $app->config->{foo};

  # Assign multiple values at once
  $app->config(foo => 'test', bar => 23);

defaults

  my $hash = $app->defaults;
  my $foo  = $app->defaults('foo');
  $app     = $app->defaults({foo => 'bar', baz => 23});
  $app     = $app->defaults(foo => 'bar', baz => 23);

Default values for ``stash'' in Mojolicious::Controller, assigned for every new request.

  # Remove value
  my $foo = delete $app->defaults->{foo};

  # Assign multiple values at once
  $app->defaults(foo => 'test', bar => 23);

dispatch

  $app->dispatch(Mojolicious::Controller->new);

The heart of every Mojolicious application, calls the ``static'' and ``routes'' dispatchers for every request and passes them a Mojolicious::Controller object.

handler

  $app->handler(Mojo::Transaction::HTTP->new);
  $app->handler(Mojolicious::Controller->new);

Sets up the default controller and emits the ``around_dispatch'' hook for every request.

helper

  $app->helper(foo => sub {...});

Add or replace a helper that will be available as a method of the controller object and the application object, as well as a function in "ep" templates. For a full list of helpers that are available by default see Mojolicious::Plugin::DefaultHelpers and Mojolicious::Plugin::TagHelpers.

  # Helper
  $app->helper(cache => sub { state $cache = {} });

  # Application
  $app->cache->{foo} = 'bar';
  my $result = $app->cache->{foo};

  # Controller
  $c->cache->{foo} = 'bar';
  my $result = $c->cache->{foo};

  # Template
  % cache->{foo} = 'bar';
  %= cache->{foo}

hook

  $app->hook(after_dispatch => sub {...});

Extend Mojolicious with hooks, which allow code to be shared with all requests indiscriminately, for a full list of available hooks see ``HOOKS''.

  # Dispatchers will not run if there's already a response code defined
  $app->hook(before_dispatch => sub {
    my $c = shift;
    $c->render(text => 'Skipped static file server and router!')
      if $c->req->url->path->to_route =~ /do_not_dispatch/;
  });

new

  my $app = Mojolicious->new;
  my $app = Mojolicious->new(moniker => 'foo_bar');
  my $app = Mojolicious->new({moniker => 'foo_bar'});

Construct a new Mojolicious application and call ``startup''. Will automatically detect your home directory. Also sets up the renderer, static file server, a default set of plugins and an ``around_dispatch'' hook with the default exception handling.

plugin

  $app->plugin('some_thing');
  $app->plugin('some_thing', foo => 23);
  $app->plugin('some_thing', {foo => 23});
  $app->plugin('SomeThing');
  $app->plugin('SomeThing', foo => 23);
  $app->plugin('SomeThing', {foo => 23});
  $app->plugin('MyApp::Plugin::SomeThing');
  $app->plugin('MyApp::Plugin::SomeThing', foo => 23);
  $app->plugin('MyApp::Plugin::SomeThing', {foo => 23});

Load a plugin, for a full list of example plugins included in the Mojolicious distribution see ``PLUGINS'' in Mojolicious::Plugins.

server

  $app->server(Mojo::Server->new);

Emits the ``before_server_start'' hook.

start

  $app->start;
  $app->start(@ARGV);

Start the command line interface for your application. For a full list of commands that are available by default see ``COMMANDS'' in Mojolicious::Commands. Note that the options "-h"/"--help", "--home" and "-m"/"--mode", which are shared by all commands, will be parsed from @ARGV during compile time.

  # Always start daemon
  $app->start('daemon', '-l', 'http://*:8080');

startup

  $app->startup;

This is your main hook into the application, it will be called at application startup. Meant to be overloaded in a subclass.

  sub startup {
    my $self = shift;
    ...
  }

HELPERS

In addition to the ``ATTRIBUTES'' and ``METHODS'' above you can also call helpers on Mojolicious objects. This includes all helpers from Mojolicious::Plugin::DefaultHelpers and Mojolicious::Plugin::TagHelpers. Note that application helpers are always called with a new default controller object, so they can't depend on or change controller state, which includes request, response and stash.

  # Call helper
  say $app->dumper({foo => 'bar'});

  # Longer version
  say $app->build_controller->helpers->dumper({foo => 'bar'});

BUNDLED FILES

The Mojolicious distribution includes a few files with different licenses that have been bundled for internal use.

Mojolicious Artwork

  Copyright (C) 2010-2019, Sebastian Riedel.

Licensed under the CC-SA License, Version 4.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>.

jQuery

  Copyright (C) jQuery Foundation.

Licensed under the MIT License, <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/MIT>.

prettify.js

  Copyright (C) 2006, 2013 Google Inc..

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 <http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0>.

CODE NAMES

Every major release of Mojolicious has a code name, these are the ones that have been used in the past.

8.0, "Supervillain" (U+1F9B9)

7.0, "Doughnut" (U+1F369)

6.0, "Clinking Beer Mugs" (U+1F37B)

5.0, "Tiger Face" (U+1F42F)

4.0, "Top Hat" (U+1F3A9)

3.0, "Rainbow" (U+1F308)

2.0, "Leaf Fluttering In Wind" (U+1F343)

1.0, "Snowflake" (U+2744)

PROJECT FOUNDER

Sebastian Riedel, "kraih@mojolicious.org"

CORE DEVELOPERS

Current members of the core team in alphabetical order:

Jan Henning Thorsen, "batman@mojolicious.org"

Joel Berger, "jberger@mojolicious.org"

Marcus Ramberg, "marcus@mojolicious.org"

The following members of the core team are currently on hiatus:

: Abhijit Menon-Sen, "ams@cpan.org"
Glen Hinkle, "tempire@cpan.org"

CREDITS

In alphabetical order:

Adam Kennedy

Adriano Ferreira

Al Newkirk

Alex Efros

Alex Salimon

Alexander Karelas

Alexey Likhatskiy

Anatoly Sharifulin

Andre Parker

Andre Vieth

Andreas Guldstrand

Andreas Jaekel

Andreas Koenig

Andrew Fresh

Andrew Nugged

Andrey Khozov

Andrey Kuzmin

Andy Grundman

Aristotle Pagaltzis

Ashley Dev

Ask Bjoern Hansen

Audrey Tang

Ben Tyler

Ben van Staveren

Benjamin Erhart

Bernhard Graf

Breno G. de Oliveira

Brian Duggan

Brian Medley

Burak Gursoy

Ch Lamprecht

Charlie Brady

Chas. J. Owens IV

Chase Whitener

Christian Hansen

chromatic

Curt Tilmes

Dan Book

Daniel Kimsey

Daniel Mantovani

Danijel Tasov

Danny Thomas

David Davis

David Webb

Diego Kuperman

Dmitriy Shalashov

Dmitry Konstantinov

Dominik Jarmulowicz

Dominique Dumont

Dotan Dimet

Douglas Christopher Wilson

Ettore Di Giacinto

Eugen Konkov

Eugene Toropov

Flavio Poletti

Gisle Aas

Graham Barr

Graham Knop

Henry Tang

Hideki Yamamura

Hiroki Toyokawa

Ian Goodacre

Ilya Chesnokov

Ilya Rassadin

James Duncan

Jan Jona Javorsek

Jan Schmidt

Jaroslav Muhin

Jesse Vincent

Johannes Plunien

John Kingsley

Jonathan Yu

Josh Leder

Kazuhiro Shibuya

Kevin Old

Kitamura Akatsuki

Klaus S. Madsen

Knut Arne Bjorndal

Lars Balker Rasmussen

Lee Johnson

Leon Brocard

Magnus Holm

Maik Fischer

Mark Fowler

Mark Grimes

Mark Stosberg

Marty Tennison

Matt S Trout

Matthew Lineen

Maksym Komar

Maxim Vuets

Michael Gregorowicz

Michael Harris

Mike Magowan

Mirko Westermeier

Mons Anderson

Moritz Lenz

Neil Watkiss

Nic Sandfield

Nils Diewald

Oleg Zhelo

Olivier Mengue

Pascal Gaudette

Paul Evans

Paul Robins

Paul Tomlin

Pavel Shaydo

Pedro Melo

Peter Edwards

Pierre-Yves Ritschard

Piotr Roszatycki

Quentin Carbonneaux

Rafal Pocztarski

Randal Schwartz

Richard Elberger

Rick Delaney

Robert Hicks

Robin Lee

Roland Lammel

Roy Storey

Ryan Jendoubi

Salvador Fandino

Santiago Zarate

Sascha Kiefer

Scott Wiersdorf

Sergey Zasenko

Simon Bertrang

Simone Tampieri

Shu Cho

Skye Shaw

Stanis Trendelenburg

Stefan Adams

Steffen Ullrich

Stephan Kulow

Stephane Este-Gracias

Stevan Little

Steve Atkins

Tatsuhiko Miyagawa

Terrence Brannon

Tianon Gravi

Tomas Znamenacek

Tudor Constantin

Ulrich Habel

Ulrich Kautz

Uwe Voelker

Viacheslav Tykhanovskyi

Victor Engmark

Viliam Pucik

Wes Cravens

William Lindley

Yaroslav Korshak

Yuki Kimoto

Zak B. Elep

Zoffix Znet

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This program is free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the Artistic License version 2.0.