First mod_perl6 handlers

Jeff Horwitz, who has previously embedded Perl 5 code in Oracle PL/SQL code, has embedded Perl 6 in Apache. He writes on the perl6-internals list today that:

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the world's first mod_perl6 handlers! They are run using Parrot's Perl6 compiler on top of mod_parrot, and are compiled on the fly the first time a handler is called. Each handler is passed an Apache::RequestRec object instantiated by mod_parrot, and the handlers can call methods on that object from Perl6 land.

The code is simple and familiar, yet uses new Perl 6 constructs.

sub counter_handler($r)
{
    our $x;
    unless ($x) {
        $x = 1;
    }
    $r.puts("<h1>Hello, I'm a mod_perl6 response handler!</h1>\n");
    $r.puts("Page views for this interpreter: $x\n");
    $x++;
    0; # Apache OK
}

Seeing working Perl 6 code, especially interoperating with other software, is what Parrot and Perl 6 need to show the community that these two projects, crucial to the future of Perl, are making progress. Bravo, Jeff!