How Can I Create Human-Readable URLs Using .htaccess and Mod_Rewrite?

Customizing Friendly URLs with .htaccess

Creating human-readable URLs is crucial for user experience and search engine optimization. This article provides a detailed guide on customizing friendly URLs using .htaccess, addressing specific requirements and best practices.

To convert URLs from:

• http://website.com/index.php?ctrl=pelicula&id=0221889
• http://website.com/index.php?ctrl=pelicula&id=0160399&tab=posters

To:

• http://website.com/pelicula/0221889/
• http://website.com/pelicula/0221889/posters/

Follow these steps:

1. Create .htaccess File

In the document root of your website, create a file named ".htaccess".

2. Configure .htaccess

Add the following code to the .htaccess file:

<ifmodule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php?url= [QSA,L]
</ifmodule>

3. PHP Script Manipulation

In your PHP script, you can now manipulate the $_GET['url'] variable to extract the desired components. For example:

$path_components = explode('/', $_GET['url']);
$ctrl = $path_components[0];
$id = $path_components[1];
$tab = $path_components[2];

4. Additional Customization

If you want to add the article title to the end of the URL, you can modify the RewriteRule in .htaccess to:

RewriteRule ^(.*)/(.*)$ index.php?url=/ [QSA,L]

5. Error Handling

If you encounter errors after configuring .htaccess, ensure that mod_rewrite is enabled and working. Additionally, review the RewriteCond and RewriteRule directives to ensure they match your requirements.

Best Practices

• Enable mod_rewrite before adding RewriteEngine On in .htaccess.
• Use relative paths (e.g., "/index.php") in RewriteRules.
• Handle 404 errors appropriately.
• Test and monitor URL changes to avoid any unexpected consequences.

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