Using ".php/" instead of ".php?" for a QueryString

nesQuick

Hello, I'm quite new to PHP. I'm actually only using PHP for an index page that needs to pass a query string to my ASP page.

(the place where the domain forward is done only works with PHP, the actual website uses ASP, but I want to keep using the address bar)

But no ASP crap here :p

Just for the looks I wanted to use the querystring of the index.php without the "?"

So an URL could look like this: domain.nl/index.php/images/holiday/001/
Than a variable would look like this: images/holiday/001/

Could someone tell me if this is possible. I'm searching for hours now for something that I think is quite easy 🙂

Thanks!

noiseusse

I could be wrong but that's not really possible. What defines a query string is the '?' character. That's what differentiates it from a path. Sorry.

nesQuick

I forgot to say: I'm using Windows Server 2003, IIS 6.0, PHP 4.3.1

Maybe there's some kind of way to get the requested URL, then I could use "index.php/" as the devider??

I tried to use the REQUEST_URI variable, but it resulted in an error 😕

matt_4013

You might be able to do it with something other than a slash, but I don't think you'd be able to use the slash, because that would violate ther rules of HTTP as described in rfc 2616

nesQuick

When I try to use the path index.php/something it works fine, but I just cannot get the /something part in my script 🙁

btw. I got the idea from this website: http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_activetopics
(just the url, not the content 😉)

but thanks anyway.. I'll just use the questionmark 🙂

matt_4013

yeah? That's surprising. Well, if it actually works like that then you should be able to pick it up using the $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] superglobal. Post the code you used and we'll see what's wrong with it 🙂

nesQuick

Well, this simple code:

<?php echo $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']; ?>

gives me back this error:
Notice: Undefined index: REQUEST_URI in C:\Webroot\ .... \test.php on line 1

I'm a PHP newbee, so don't blame me for a stupid mistake :p

matt_4013

:eek:

There's nothing wrong with your code, it seems that your $SERVER variable isn't set. In your php.ini file there's a configuration directive called variables_order. This should be set to something like "EGPCS". If the S isn't in there, the $SERVER array wont be set, likewise if there's no G the $_GET array wont be set.

btw, we were all new to this once, so don't worry about asking questions, just don't expect people to write full scripts for you 🙂

nesQuick

Thanks Matt, but I'm afraid it didn't work 🙁
The php.ini file was already set like you told me. Other $SERVER variables work just fine, just like $GET and other. Very strange 😕 Perhaps the ServerVariable is unknown because I'm running Win2k3 with IIS instead of Apache or something.

The fact that you cannot put a slash after an ASP file, but CAN after a PHP file made me believe that there must be some kind of way to fix it.

matt_4013

Yeah, it could be. I don't use windows much for anything at all, so I don't have a lot of experience with it :p Ah well, sounds like it ain't gonna work, unless somebody else knows a way around it. Mind you, the amount of talent in these forums is phenomenal, so somebody will probably know 🙂

Weedpacket

Sounds like what you're really after is something that would change

http://domain.nl/index.php/images/holiday/001/
into
http://domain.nl/index.php?arg1=images&arg2=holiday&arg3=001
or whatever the mapping should be.

It's really the web server's job to map URLs to resources (whether they be files or generated by scripts). SO you want the web server to convert the "tidied" URL into one with a proper querystring, and then see what that converted URL maps to.

I've no first-hand experience with URL rewriting on IIS (in Apache it's a function of the mod_rewrite module, and is manipulated via its configuration files), but a Google search on that subject should provide something useful to you.

nesQuick

Thanx, actually the PHP file will be running on Apache, but I'm not allowed to change the server. I'm only allowed to deliver one PHP file. What you thought about the change that's right.

domein1.nl/index.php/bla/bla
would redirect to:
domein2.nl/index.asp?bla/bla

Mordecai

If you're on Apache, use mod_rewrite. However, with IIS, I'm not sure.

superwormy

This is definitally possible with PHP and Apache on *nix, as I've done it before :-)

BUT I've never been able to get this to work on a Windows machine, whether using Apache or IIS :-(

Another option for you might be to use an .htaccess file to ForceType the file to a PHP file. For instance, the filename would be something like 'myfile' WITHOUT AN EXTENSION. Then put this in your .htaccess file:

<FilesMatch "^myfile$">
ForceType application/x-httpd-php
</FilesMatch>

Then, whenever something like 'myfile' is requested, it is forced to be parsed by PHP. Then you should be able to use a query string and get the file like this:

http://myserver.com/myfile/this/is/my/querystring

Heres an example of above stuff, the only actual PHP file here is 'article'.
http://customsportswear.com/article/logobag_trends_for_work_play_and_in_between
http://customsportswear.com/article/more_logobags_trends_and_gift_ideas

In your script try putting this and see what variables you have available:

print_r ($_SERVER);

superwormy

As a note, mod_rewrite on Apache is also an optoin ( although not for IIS, not sure if that MicroSoft Garbage has somethign similar... ) although usually its a bit overkill and more confusing... IMHO anyway.