What's the difference between access and access plus in ExpiresByType directive?

Question

I have seen:

ExpiresByType image/jpg "access 1 year"

But also:

ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 year"

So, what's the difference between those two lines ?

MrWhite · Accepted Answer · 2021-01-15 19:23:09Z

2

These two directives are the same.

The plus keyword is entirely optional. It is just syntactic sugar, to make it (arguably) more "readable".

ExpiresByType type/encoding "base[plus num type] [num type] ..."

:
The plus keyword is optional.

So, include it or not - it is up to you. But, as with everything, it is important to be consistent. Include it OR don't include it; don't mix it.

Aside:

ExpiresByType image/jpg "access 1 year"

As I noted in my answer to your other question, you should probably be using image/jpeg here, not image/jpg.

answered Jan 15, 2021 at 13:43

MrWhite

43.1k4 gold badges50 silver badges90 bronze badges

1

Thank you for your answer. One thing to say: I read the apache docs before to understand the plus keyword, but it wasn't clear for me "The plus keyword is optional". In my opinion optional doesn't mean same effect. For me it means that using it you will get this, not using it you will get this. That's why I was confused.
– Andrei
Commented Jan 15, 2021 at 14:48
2

Yes, it may seem a bit strange that the plus keyword is literally just optional, as in "throw-away" optional. And not "optional" as in an "optional parameter". This alternative syntax is simply for readability, so the additional adjective just makes it read more naturally. (The "normal" syntax is a bit more cryptic and is "rarely" used, but is more machine friendly, eg. ExpiresByType image/jpeg A31536000.)
– MrWhite
Commented Jan 15, 2021 at 19:20

Add a comment |

1 Answer 1