Directory URL redirect to page and variable URL

[AWitchalls]

I'm looking to build a blog site that users can subscribe to and create their own blogs, independent of all the other users (like Xanga or Bloglines).

In the same way that Xanga blogs work, I am trying to figure out a way to enable the users to have simple URLs for their blogs, such as exampleblogdomain.com/userblog, that visitors can type in and be redirected to the actual PHP page. In our example the URL for the actual PHP page would be exampleblogdomain.com/blogs/viewblog.php?blog=userblog and would display the blog as required.

Without creating directories and a redirecting index.php page for every single user that registers, I am stuck for alternatives.

Any ideas would be gratefully received!

[yelvington]

If you are using Apache, read the section of the manual that explains mod_rewrite, and Google "Apache URL Rewriting Guide."