--- loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2008/04/04 16:58:44	1.941.2.2
+++ loncom/lonnet/perl/lonnet.pm	2008/02/21 10:04:35	1.942
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network
 # TCP networking package
 #
-# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.941.2.2 2008/04/04 16:58:44 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: lonnet.pm,v 1.942 2008/02/21 10:04:35 foxr Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -1631,21 +1631,12 @@ sub ssi_body {
     if (! exists($form{'LONCAPA_INTERNAL_no_discussion'})) {
         $form{'LONCAPA_INTERNAL_no_discussion'}='true';
     }
-    my $output='';
-    my $response;
-    if ($filelink=~/^http\:/) {
-        ($output,$response)=&externalssi($filelink);
-    } else {
-        ($output,$response)=&ssi($filelink,%form);
-    }
+    my $output=($filelink=~/^http\:/?&externalssi($filelink):
+                                     &ssi($filelink,%form));
     $output=~s|//(\s*<!--)? BEGIN LON-CAPA Internal.+?// END LON-CAPA Internal\s*(-->)?\s||gs;
     $output=~s/^.*?\<body[^\>]*\>//si;
     $output=~s/\<\/body\s*\>.*?$//si;
-    if (wantarray) {
-        return ($output, $response);
-    } else {
-        return $output;
-    }
+    return $output;
 }
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------- Server Side Include
@@ -1665,14 +1656,18 @@ sub absolute_url {
 #  fn     Possibly encrypted resource name/id.
 #  form   Hash that describes how the rendering should be done
 #         and other things.
-# Returns:
-#   Scalar context: The content of the response.
-#   Array context:  2 element list of the content and the full response object.
+#  r      Optional reference that will be given the response.
+#         This is mostly provided so that the caller can implement
+#         error detection, recovery and retry policies.
 #     
+# Returns:
+#    The content of the response.
 sub ssi {
 
-    my ($fn,%form)=@_;
+    my ($fn,%form, $r)=@_;
+
     my $ua=new LWP::UserAgent;
+    
     my $request;
 
     $form{'no_update_last_known'}=1;
@@ -1687,11 +1682,11 @@ sub ssi {
     $request->header(Cookie => $ENV{'HTTP_COOKIE'});
     my $response=$ua->request($request);
 
-    if (wantarray) {
-	return ($response->content, $response);
-    } else {
-	return $response->content;
+    if ($r) {
+	$$r = $response;
     }
+
+    return $response->content;
 }
 
 sub externalssi {
@@ -1699,11 +1694,7 @@ sub externalssi {
     my $ua=new LWP::UserAgent;
     my $request=new HTTP::Request('GET',$url);
     my $response=$ua->request($request);
-    if (wantarray) {
-        return ($response->content, $response);
-    } else {
-        return $response->content;
-    }
+    return $response->content;
 }
 
 # -------------------------------- Allow a /uploaded/ URI to be vouched for