<name>Include</name>
<description>Includes other configuration files from within
the server configuration files</description>
-<syntax>Include [<var>optional</var>|<var>strict</var>] <var>file-path</var>|<var>directory-path</var>|<var>wildcard</var></syntax>
+<syntax>Include <var>file-path</var>|<var>directory-path</var>|<var>wildcard</var></syntax>
<contextlist><context>server config</context><context>virtual host</context>
<context>directory</context>
</contextlist>
wildcard syntax shown below, to include files that match a particular
pattern, such as *.conf, for example.</p>
- <p>When a wildcard is specified for a <strong>file</strong> component of
- the path, and no file matches the wildcard, the
- <directive module="core">Include</directive>
- directive will be <strong>silently ignored</strong>. When a wildcard is
- specified for a <strong>directory</strong> component of the path, and
- no directory matches the wildcard, the
- <directive module="core">Include</directive> directive will
- <strong>fail with an error</strong> saying the directory cannot be found.
- </p>
-
- <p>For further control over the behavior of the server when no files or
- directories match, prefix the path with the modifiers <var>optional</var>
- or <var>strict</var>. If <var>optional</var> is specified, any wildcard
- file or directory that does not match will be silently ignored. If
- <var>strict</var> is specified, any wildcard file or directory that does
- not match at least one file will cause server startup to fail.</p>
-
- <p>When a directory or file component of the path is
- specified exactly, and that directory or file does not exist,
- <directive module="core">Include</directive> directive will fail with an
- error saying the file or directory cannot be found.</p>
+ <p>The <directive module="core">Include</directive> directive will
+ <strong>fail with an error</strong> if a wildcard is specified for a
+ filename or directory component of the patch, but no file or directory
+ matches the wildcard. The same is true if a wildcard is specified for a
+ directory component of the path, and a mathing directory does not contain
+ the filename specified in the path. The
+ <directive module="core">IncludeOptional</directive> directive can be
+ used instead, if non-matching wildcards should be ignored.</p>
<p>The file path specified may be an absolute path, or may be relative
to the <directive module="core">ServerRoot</directive> directory.</p>
</example>
<p>Wildcards may be included in the directory or file portion of the
- path. In the following example, the server will fail to load if no
- directories match conf/vhosts/*, but will load successfully if no
- files match *.conf.</p>
+ path. This example will fail if there is no subdirectory in conf/vhosts
+ or if a subdirectory of conf/vhosts does not contain at least one *.conf
+ file:</p>
<example>
- Include conf/vhosts/*/vhost.conf<br />
Include conf/vhosts/*/*.conf
</example>
- <p>In this example, the server will fail to load if either
- conf/vhosts/* matches no directories, or if *.conf matches no files:</p>
+ <p>Alternatively, the following command will just be ignored in case of
+ missing files or directories:</p>
<example>
- Include strict conf/vhosts/*/*.conf
+ IncludeOptional conf/vhosts/*/*.conf
</example>
- <p>In this example, the server load successfully if either conf/vhosts/*
- matches no directories, or if *.conf matches no files:</p>
+</usage>
- <example>
- Include optional conf/vhosts/*/*.conf
- </example>
+<seealso><directive module="core">IncludeOptional</directive></seealso>
+<seealso><program>apachectl</program></seealso>
+</directivesynopsis>
+<directivesynopsis>
+<name>IncludeOptional</name>
+<description>Includes other configuration files from within
+the server configuration files</description>
+<syntax>IncludeOptional <var>file-path</var>|<var>directory-path</var>|<var>wildcard</var></syntax>
+<contextlist><context>server config</context><context>virtual host</context>
+<context>directory</context>
+</contextlist>
+<compatibility>Available in 2.3.6 and later</compatibility>
+
+<usage>
+ <p>This directive allows inclusion of other configuration files
+ from within the server configuration files. It works identically to the
+ <directive module="core">Include</directive> directive, with the
+ exception that if wildcards do not match any file or directory, the
+ <directive module="core">IncludeOptional</directive> directive will be
+ silently ignored instead of causing an error.</p>
</usage>
+<seealso><directive module="core">Include</directive></seealso>
<seealso><program>apachectl</program></seealso>
</directivesynopsis>