mod_rewrite for all pages (including subfolders) on a site to a single php page

Question

I am in the process of converting my site with many static html pages to a site driven by a database. My problem is that I don\'t want to lose what google has already indexe

Answer 1

I would recommend you to look into the Apache URL Rewriting Guide, it contains extensive information about rewriting with examples.

If I understand you correctly, you should be able to use something like this

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond $1 
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php/?page=$1 [L]

Which is very similar code to the one you posted. If you want better information, be specific about your problem.

Answer 2

There's no need for so many lines, it only complicates things.

All you need is 2 lines in .htaccess:

rewriteengine on
#rewriterule-: ar1 path =relative. ar2 if relative, that to rewritebase.
rewriterule !^foo/bar/index\.php$ /foo/bar/index.php
#..assert ar1 dismatches correct url

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In PHP

You can output the first input of rewriterule in PHP using:

<?=$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];

That will give you all the power and allow you to do all things. Simply parse $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"] manually and you can echo totally different pages depending on the value of $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"].

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Sec bugs

Note that your server may do pathing or buggy pathing before rewriterule. (You can't override this behavior without server privileges.) Eg if the user visits /foo//// you may only see /foo/ or /foo. And eg if the user visits ///foo you may only see /foo. And eg if the user visits /a/../foo you may only see /foo. And eg if the user visits /a//b/../../foo you may only see /foo or /a/foo [because buggy production servers treat multiple / as distinct in the context of .., no kidding].

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With circuit break

Rewrite circuit breaks on cin identical to htaccess∙parentfolder∙relative interpreted rewriterule∙arg2. (First off, personally I'd disable circuit breaks to reduce rule complexity but there seems to be no way to do so.)

Circuit-break solution:

rewriteengine on
#rewriterule-: ar1 path =relative. ar2 if relative, that to rewritebase.
rewriterule ^ /foo/bar/index.php
#..circuit-breaking, so assert ar2 if absolute, htaccess parentfolder =root, else, htaccess parentfolder not in interpreted ar2.

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Circuit break and rewritebase undesigned use

Circuit break needs either of:

1. arg2 [of rewriterule] ⇌ absolute. and htaccess parentfolder ⇌ root.
2. arg2 ⇌ relative. and that folder not in interpreted arg2.

So when that folder ≠ root, circuit break needs arg2 ⇌ relative. when arg2 ⇌ relative, circuit break needs⎾that folder ⇌ not in interpreted arg2⏋.

Say we need circuit break and a htaccess parentfolder that's in interpreted arg2, so we edit arg2 via rewritebase:

rewriteengine on
#rewriterule-: ar1 path =relative. ar2 if relative, that to rewritebase.
rewriterule ^ bar/index.php
#..circuit-breaking, so assert ar2 if absolute, htaccess parentfolder =root, else, htaccess parentfolder not in interpreted ar2.
rewritebase /foo
#..needs to be absolute [</> starting]. pathing [eg </../a/..> and </../..///ran/dom-f/oobar/./././../../..////////.//.>] allowed