[Resolved] How does hotscripts do that?

AliceH

If you visit hotscripts.com you'll notice there are several categories for scripts such as PHP and ASP. If you click PHP then the url shows: hotscripts.com/PHP/

then if you click for example polls it will show: hotscripts.com/PHP/Polls/

I really doubt they have hundreds of directories, so are they using mod_rewrite?

What would be the mod_rewrite code to make something like that work? I can't seem to figure it out. I can make it work for just one directory, but not 2 or more.

For example if I make the mod_rewrite code like this:

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(.)/(.)$ index.php?dir1=$1&dir2=$2

That will work ONLY for 2 directories, meaning if I typed this in the url:
test.com/PHP/

It would print an error because it's expecting 2 things, meaning this would work: (test.com/PHP/Polls/).

So how does hotscripts do it? What am I doing wrong?
Thanks in advance 🙂

drew010

actually, i beleive hotscripts does have hundreds of directories. im pretty sure they are using gossamer threads links 2.0 directory index script. i have ran it on a few sites, and it does create all the directories and html pages under them for categories. for more information on it, see http://www.gossamer-threads.com/scripts/links/index.htm

AliceH

lol are you serious?!!!

Well...couldn't it be done via 1 script and mod_rewrite?

drew010

im not too great with mod_rewrite but if you use this rule you can use a php script to exlode out all the folders

RewriteRule ^(.*)/+$ parse.php?$1

with this here's what will result:
http://www.server.com/dir1/dir2/dir3/

parse.php will receive "dir1/dir2/dir3" in the query string.
you can use explode to receive all the parameters in an array, using / as the delimeter. then determine how many folders there were and then what they are.
the problem with that rule is,
http://www.server.com/dir1/dir2/dir3
will return 404 not found, because it requires the last /
i couldnt figure out how to get around it, although im not good w/ mod_rewrite so its probably really easy to do.

hope you are able to figure something with that.

Moonglobe

its probably just rewriting the whole thing to a single file as in:

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php?section=$1

and then they get the script to decipher it... not all that hard, imho

AliceH

this reply goes to the above two posts.
That is what I ended up trying to do but it still doesn't work because the end of the url will eventually be something like:

test.com/PHP/Polls/simplepoll.html

So basically if it doesn't end with a '/' then it won't work 🙁

Moonglob said:
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php?section=$1

That doesn't work either because then the other files will redirect to index.php.
(for example the css file won't work)

Moonglobe

then use ^(./)+(.) with parse.php?section=$1&item=$2 and you're set.

AliceH

dude you rock!
what exactly does all that mean though?

Moonglobe

it means: one or more sections of any charaters then a slash, then one or more characters. come to think of it it really should read:

^(.*/)+(.*)?

i.e an extra "?" at the end. this would mean the following would be caught:
[FONT=courier new]

index/
index/1
PHP/index.php/Polls
PHP/index.php/Polls/

[/font]and the following wouldnt:[font=courier new]

index.php
index

[/font]

AliceH

hey thanks a lot Moonglobe 🙂

AliceH

I do have one more question though.

Can I make exceptions?
Like for example if I make a real directory and call it images or admin and then goto test.com/admin/

It just redirects to index.php and gives admin the argument.

Thanks again 🙂

laserlight

Yes.
I havent been playing around with mod_rewrite for a while, but if I remember correctly you'll have to match against your exception first.

EDIT:

Additionally in mod_rewrite the NOT character ('!') is a possible pattern prefix. This gives you the ability to negate a pattern; to say, for instance: ``if the current URL does NOT match this pattern''. This can be used for exceptional cases, where it is easier to match the negative pattern, or as a last default rule.

From the doc

AliceH

thanks 🙂

AliceH

Wouldn't it be this then:

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/admin/.
RewriteRule ^(./)+(.*)? index.php

Moonglobe

why don't you try it and find ou t😉

AliceH

It didn't work 🙁

AliceH

got it to work 😃