Friendly url not working

[camaross]

I created a small search engine (html call for php to do the query) to search a mysql database. For example, if you input 'var1' in the search box of the html, the resulting url shown on my website will be http/www.mysite.com/search.php?search=var1&submit=submit

I am trying to figure out how to change the shown url to www.mysite.com/var1, instead.

Anyone could help?

[djm0219]

Rewriting is for inbound URLs (those coming from the address bar of the browser) not for outbound URLs (those that result from coming from a form or server side language).

What you have will take the 2nd form you want, the one with DIR/var1 in it, and change it to the original format (search.php?search=var1) not the other way around.

[120]

Dave is spot on. You are back to front. That said, if you want the URL tidy, why not just use POST data instead of GET ?

[toolglutton]

I have a similar question. So how do I write the rule so that the incoming /DIR/var1 will be turned into /search.php?search=var1&submit=submit?

Originally Posted by djm0219

Rewriting is for inbound URLs (those coming from the address bar of the browser) not for outbound URLs (those that result from coming from a form or server side language).

What you have will take the 2nd form you want, the one with DIR/var1 in it, and change it to the original format (search.php?search=var1) not the other way around.

[djm0219]

What you have should do it though I believe search=$2 needs to be search=$1 instead.

[toolglutton]

I do not agree with you on this.

I do not know how to do that, but I am sure it is possible. For example www.dtcsearch.com.

Originally Posted by djm0219

Rewriting is for inbound URLs (those coming from the address bar of the browser) not for outbound URLs (those that result from coming from a form or server side language).

What you have will take the 2nd form you want, the one with DIR/var1 in it, and change it to the original format (search.php?search=var1) not the other way around.

[camaross]

I also believe it should be able to be achieved.

Basically my question is reduced to how to rewrite php generated urls (http://www.mysite.com/search.php?sea...ubmit=submit)?

Originally Posted by toolglutton

I do not agree with you on this.

I do not know how to do that, but I am sure it is possible. For example www.dtcsearch.com.

[ShaneC]

Camaross, is this related to the problem solved in your other thread? Or is it new? If it's related can you update your question based on what we figured out, please. It would help me address your question.

Toolglutton, so are you asking how to take something like http://mydomain.com/dir/var1 and send it through http://mydomain.com/search.php?search=var1 ?

If so, you'll want to utilize something like this:

RewriteRule ^dir/(.*)$ search.php?search=$1 [L]

Both of you may find this newley posted guide helpful: http://www.codingforums.com/showthread.php?t=215977. It's an extensive guide on how to do basic Mod_Rewrite.

[camaross]

For this thread, I am trying to see if it is possible to rewrite php generated url from 'www.mysite.com/search.php?search=var1&submit=submit' to 'www.mysite.com/var1'?

Thanks.

[QUOTE=ShaneC;1043509]Camaross, is this related to the problem solved in your other thread? Or is it new? If it's related can you update your question based on what we figured out, please. It would help me address your question.

[ShaneC]

You shouldn't ever need to rewrite from a PHP Query String to the nice version.

When you submit your form submit it to the clean URL. IE: http://mysite.com/var1/submit

And then change your rewrite rules to accommodate the additional entry of /submit.

Change your current section of the Rewrite rules from just this:
RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?$ search.php?search=$1 [L]

To this:

RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/submit?$ search.php?search=$1&submit=submit [L]
RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?$ search.php?search=$1 [L]

[camaross]

Thank you for the nice solution. That's refreshing.

I am using a search box (<form action="search.php" method="get" >) inside a html to call for search.php to do the query. How do I modify them so that I can submit the form in a clean url, http://mysite.com/var1/submit?

Originally Posted by ShaneC

You shouldn't ever need to rewrite from a PHP Query String to the nice version.

When you submit your form submit it to the clean URL. IE: http://mysite.com/var1/submit

And then change your rewrite rules to accommodate the additional entry of /submit.

Change your current section of the Rewrite rules from just this:
RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?$ search.php?search=$1 [L]

To this:

RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/submit?$ search.php?search=$1&submit=submit [L]
RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?$ search.php?search=$1 [L]

[ShaneC]

Originally Posted by camaross

Thank you for the nice solution. That's refreshing.

I am using a search box (<form action="search.php" method="get" >) to call for search.php to do the query. How do I modify it so that I can submit the form in a clean url, http://mysite.com/var1/submit?

Yup! When it gets to search.php you can just do something like this in your PHP:

PHP Code:

<?php

if( isset( $_POST['submit'] ) ){
     // The form has been submitted to this address
     // Do all the neccessary POST stuff here.
}else{
     // Do all the non-POST stuff here
}

?>

[camaross]

The url does not change. Actually, the submit input is not that important. Inside php, I can remove everything related to $_GET['submit'], and they still work fine.

Don't you think the search.php?search=var1&submit=submit is generated by the html?

Originally Posted by ShaneC

Yup! When it gets to search.php you can just do something like this in your PHP:

PHP Code:

<?php

if( isset( $_POST['submit'] ) ){
     // The form has been submitted to this address
     // Do all the neccessary POST stuff here.
}else{
     // Do all the non-POST stuff here
}

?>

[ShaneC]

Whoops! Didn't notice your method there, I thought it was POST. My apologies, I misunderstood.

Yes, that's generated by the page and I don't believe there's a way to change that in the HTML. You can, however, cheat.

Do like we did before, set the action to action="/var1/". You'll also need to change your Rewrite Statements to include the QSA flag.

Take out what I just told you to put in (RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/submit?$ search.php?search=$1&submit=submit [L]). Replace that block with this:

RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?$ search.php?search=$1 [L,QSA]

Now, in your search.php, do this for me:

PHP Code:

<?php

if( isset( $_GET['submit'] ) ){
     header( 'location: /' . $_GET['search'] );
     exit();
}

// Rest of your code...

This will then take whatever has been submitted through the form and then redirect your browser to http://mysite.com/<Search Value>.

[camaross]

Thank you so much. I am working on it. One question, you mentioned to change

action="/var1/"

. But there is no such thing as var1 inside the html. It is basically the <input type="text" name="search"> value.

Am I correct?

Originally Posted by ShaneC

Whoops! Didn't notice your method there, I thought it was POST. My apologies, I misunderstood.

Yes, that's generated by the page and I don't believe there's a way to change that in the HTML. You can, however, cheat.

Do like we did before, set the action to action="/var1/". You'll also need to change your Rewrite Statements to include the QSA flag.

Take out what I just told you to put in (RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/submit?$ search.php?search=$1&submit=submit [L]). Replace that block with this:

RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?$ search.php?search=$1 [L,QSA]

Now, in your search.php, do this for me:

PHP Code:

<?php

if( isset( $_GET['submit'] ) ){
     header( 'location: /' . $_GET['search'] );
     exit();
}

// Rest of your code...

This will then take whatever has been submitted through the form and then redirect your browser to http://mysite.com/<Search Value>.