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<manualpage metafile="filter.xml.meta">

  <title>Filters</title>

  <summary>
    <p>This document describes the use of filters in Apache.</p>
  </summary>

  <section id="filters">
    <title>Filters</title>
    <related>
      <modulelist>
        <module>mod_deflate</module>
        <module>mod_ext_filter</module>
        <module>mod_include</module>
      </modulelist>
      <directivelist>
        <directive module="mod_mime">AddInputFilter</directive>
        <directive module="mod_mime">AddOutputFilter</directive>
        <directive module="mod_mime">RemoveInputFilter</directive>
        <directive module="mod_mime">RemoveOutputFilter</directive>
        <directive module="mod_ext_filter">ExtFilterDefine</directive>
        <directive module="mod_ext_filter">ExtFilterOptions</directive>
        <directive module="core">SetInputFilter</directive>
        <directive module="core">SetOutputFilter</directive>
      </directivelist>
    </related>

    <p>A <em>filter</em> is a process that is applied to data that
    is sent or received by the server. Data sent by clients to the
    server is processed by <em>input filters</em> while data sent
    by the server to the client is processed by <em>output
    filters</em>. Multiple filters can be applied to the data, and
    the order of the filters can be explicitly specified.</p>

    <p>Filters are used internally by Apache to perform functions such
    as chunking and byte-range request handling. In addition, modules
    can provide filters that are selectable using run-time
    configuration directives. The set of filters that apply to data
    can be manipulated with the
    <directive module="core">SetInputFilter</directive>,
    <directive module="core">SetOutputFilter</directive>,
    <directive module="mod_mime">AddInputFilter</directive>,
    <directive module="mod_mime">AddOutputFilter</directive>,
    <directive module="mod_mime">RemoveInputFilter</directive>, and
    <directive module="mod_mime">RemoveOutputFilter</directive>
    directives.</p>

    <p>The following user-selectable filters are currently provided
    with the Apache HTTP Server distribution.</p>

    <dl>
      <dt>INCLUDES</dt>
      <dd>Server-Side Includes processing by <module>mod_include</module></dd>
      <dt>DEFLATE</dt>
      <dd>Compress output before sending it to the client using
          <module>mod_deflate</module>
      </dd>
    </dl>

    <p>In addition, the module <module>mod_ext_filter</module> allows
    for external programs to be defined as filters.</p>
  </section>
</manualpage>
