Hey. In en/sections.html "How the sections are merged" section it's very nicely described how sections are merged. I would however add the following (if true ;-) ): 1) For "* <Directory> (group 1 above) is processed in the order shortest directory component to longest." I would add something like "(regardless of their order in the configuration)" ... since this is the main point here that makes it different from the other sections. 2) A bit below it explains: "If multiple <Directory> sections apply to the same directory they are processed in the configuration file order." This should perhaps be expanded to (nearly) all the other section-directives, e.g. with a 2nd sentence like: "This is also the case when two or more of <DirectoryMatch>, <File>, <FileMatch>, <Location>, <LocationMatch> apply to the very same resource." And I guess for <If> as well? 3) Similarly than (2), it should perhaps mention that this is NOT ALWAYS the case for <VirtualHost> sections, i.e. if two or more <VirtualHost> have the very same literal address:port (or address:*, *:port or *:*) AND none of them can be chosen by name-based vhosting (via. differing ServerName/ServerAlias) ONLY the first of them appearing in the configuration will be taken. I know this is already explained in more detail in the vhosting guides, but since this (en/sections.html "How the sections are merged") is the documentation part serving as a cheat sheet for how merging is done, it should perhaps not miss from there. HTH, Chris
Follow up on (3): Maybe a simply way to describe this for <VirtualHost> would be: For <VirtualHost>, if there are multiple sections that match on the very same specifier, e.g.: - two or more of <VirtualHost address:port> - two or more of <VirtualHost address:*> - two or more of <VirtualHost *:port> - two or more of <VirtualHost *:*> HTTPD would (after is has ruled out all vhosts that aren't a best-match, see vhosting Tutorial), within each of the above groups, first look whether one <VirtualHost> can be picked based on name-based vhosting (via ServerName/ServerAlias) and if not possible, take the first <VirtualHost> in the configuration (or fall back to the main server). In no case it would finally consider directives from more than one <VirtualHost> section.