--- loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2008/02/29 19:07:07	1.642
+++ loncom/interface/loncommon.pm	2008/03/03 10:50:26	1.643
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # a pile of common routines
 #
-# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.642 2008/02/29 19:07:07 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: loncommon.pm,v 1.643 2008/03/03 10:50:26 foxr Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -78,6 +78,58 @@ my $readit;
 ## Global Variables
 ##
 
+
+# ----------------------------------------------- SSI with retries:
+#
+
+=pod
+
+=head1 Server Side incliude with retries:
+
+=over 4
+
+=item * ssi_with_retries(resource, retries form)
+
+Performs an ssi with some number of retries.  Retries continue either
+until the result is ok or until the retry count supplied by the
+caller is exhausted.  
+
+Inputs:
+resource   - Identifies the resource to insert.
+retries    - Count of the number of retries allowed.
+form       - Hash that identifies the rendering options.
+
+Returns: 
+content    - The content of the response.  If retries were exhausted this is empty.
+response   - The response from the last attempt (which may or may not have been successful.
+
+=cut
+
+sub ssi_with_retries {
+    my ($resource, $retries, %form) = @_;
+
+
+    my $ok = 0;			# True if we got a good response.
+    my $content;
+    my $response;
+
+    # Try to get the ssi done. within the retries count:
+
+    do {
+	($content, $response) = &Apache::lonnet::ssi($resource, %form);
+	$ok      = $response->is_success;
+	$retries--;
+    } while (!$ok && ($retries > 0));
+
+    if (!$ok) {
+	$content = '';		# On error return an empty content.
+    }
+    return ($content, $response);
+
+}
+
+
+
 # ----------------------------------------------- Filetypes/Languages/Copyright
 my %language;
 my %supported_language;