mod_rewrite expression help

fikse

I have the following mod_rewrite rule:

RewriteRule ^(.*)-(.*)-Drag-Racing.html$ browse3.php?carmake=$1&carmodel=$2

it takes the file name like Dodge-Viper-Drag-Racing.html and re-writes it to my processing file browse3.php which queries the database...

the problem occurs when a car model actually has a hypen in it's name, which causes the query to fail, like:

Mazda-RX-7-Drag-Racing.html

how can modfiy my rewrite rule to disregard any hypens inside that part of the filename that contains the modelname of the car?

thanks!

sfullman

this looks like something on a linux server, which I don't know, but I do know regular expressions well.

It appears from the $1 and $2 you can expect the positions, so try:

RewriteRule ^{(.+)-([-a-z0-9]+)-Drag-Racing.html$} browse3.php?carmake=$1&carmodel=$2

notice that I replaced * with + because you expect at least one character.
Also notice that I only modified the second group, not the first. If you expect the carmake to also have dashes, change likewise.

By the way, is this a linux command and could you tell me more about it? Looks like you're trying to get static pages into a database (a problem we all face fromtime to time :-).

Sam

fikse

yea, I'm trying to get the static "looking" pages, to rewrite and query the database, it is on linux system...

I tried your code and it didn't work... sometimes there will be a hypen, sometimes there will not.... what is ([-a-z0-9]+) this part saying, only if there are a hypen a-z and 0-9 present in that position?

I think the problem is occuring if there is a hypen in the carmodel name, or carmake name, it throws the positioning of the parts that I need thrown in the variables off because I'm using hypens to separate them out in the first place...

when I use this, it works:

RewriteRule ^(.*)--(.*)-Drag-Racing.html$ browse3.php?carmake=$1&carmodel=$2

because it's now separating them with the double hypen.... I would much rather use a single hypen though...

any more suggestions?

thanks...

sfullman

well, this:

[-a-zA-Z0-9]+

means "hyphen, a-z, A-Z, or 0-9, occuring in any combination, any number of times"

which if it doesn't work then the regex rules are different.

Also, try this again with the A-Z added, otherwise it was missing because of case sensitivity, capice?

Again, let me know how it goes, and send me some info on how to do this command on a Linux server.

sam

fikse

this might make is easier to demonatrate:

when this:

Mazda-RX-7-Drag-Racing.html

is passed through this:

RewriteRule ^{(.)-(.)-Drag-Racing.html$} browse3.php?carmake=$1&carmodel=$2

the variables end up being:

$carmake = Mazda-RX
$carmodel = 7

I need it to come out like this:

$carmake = Mazda
$carmodel = RX-7

sfullman

ugh, you're right, try this:

([^{-]+)-(.+)-Drag-Racing.html}

the string [^-]+ means "anything besides a hyphen, at least once. Assuming makes, like Mazda, BMW, you're golden but if you have Mercedes-Benz, yuck...

bottom line:
1. you need to learn regex principles
2. but if it works as a hack, take a breath :-)

Sam

fikse

yea, I came up with this, very similar to yours

RewriteRule ^{([^{-])-(.)-Drag-Racing.html$}} browse3.php?carmake=$1&carmodel=$2

but of course.... it doesn't work with Mercedes-Benz.... the only carmake I have with a hypen....

I suppose I could do a conditional rewrite for this one case....

thanks for the help...