Help with query string rewrite

htacces query_string rewrite url variables

[mlmiddleton]

I'm trying to rewrite a URL that has a query string on it, and despite finding a lot of information on this, I can't get it to work, can someone help me?

redirect:

http://www.example.com/file.php?x=123

to:

http://www.example.com/file/123

Here's what I'm trying:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} x=(.*)
RewriteRule ^file.php(.*)$ /file/%1

I have further rules for the framework that I'm using after this:

RewriteCond $1 !^(index\.php¦css¦js¦images¦robots\.txt)
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php/$1 [L]

The reason that I'm doing this is to preserve current links to /file.php?x=123, and have them redirect to the new site that I'm building that will have links of /file/123

I don't really speak this, and this is the only thing I need to do with this, can someone help me?

[g1smd]

Do you want a "redirect" or a "rewrite" here? You used both words in your question. They are two different things.

Your code is for a rewrite. I think you need a redirect if your explanation of what you want to do is correct.

In that case, you'll need to add the domain name to the target URL and the [R=301,L] flags.

[jdMorgan]

The overall purpose of this whole project hasn't been mentioned, nor what specifically "doesn't work."

If you are trying to achieve "search engine friendly URLs," there are three steps:

1. Change the links on your pages to "/file/123" format.
   
2. Internally rewrite /file/123 to /file.php?x=123
   
3. Externally redirect direct client requests only for /file.php?x=123 back to /file/123
   

Jim

[mlmiddleton]

In the above list, it's #3. I already have search engine friendly URLs, so, if you go to /file/123, it renders the page just fine. However, for the previous version of this site, the page would have been /file.php?x=123. So, for existing bookmarks and links that are already out there that point to /file.php?x=123, I want to direct it to what's at /file/123, instead of page not found.

[g1smd]

My points, and Jim's #3 are what you need to do then...

[jdMorgan]

To redirect only direct client requests (avoiding an infinite redirect/rewrite loop), test THE_REQUEST:

RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]+\ /file\.php\?x=([^\ ]*)\ HTTP/
RewriteRule ^file\.php$ http://www.example.com/file/%1? [R=301,L]

To clarify the RewriteCond pattern above, THE_REQUEST is the exact request string sent by the client (e.g. browser), and is visible in your raw server access logs. A typical request would look like:

GET /file.php?x=123 HTTP/1.1

Using this additional RewriteCond check prevents this rule from redirecting requests which have just been internally rewritten to the "file.php?x=123" form by your other rule, and so avoids a loop.

Jim

[edit] Corrected as noted below. [/edit]

[edited by: jdMorgan at 2:59 am (utc) on June 26, 2009]

[mlmiddleton]

Thank you so much, that's exactly what I needed. I just added a ? on the end of the redirected URL to clear the existing query string:

RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]+\ /file\.php\?x=([^\ ]*)\ HTTP/
RewriteRule ^file\.php$ http://www.example.com/file/%1? [R=301,L]

Thank you again!

[acimag]

I dont get it when all those switch characters start...

I tried this and it works.... only little problems that a real brain could figure out...
RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} ^[A-Z]+\ /\?p=([^\ ]*)\ HTTP/
RewriteRule ^$ [domain.com...] [R=301,L]

The only problem is it doesnt have the .html to the end. just leaves it in directory structure.

Next thing I realized after.

Most of them are ?p=blah then I noticed that SOME had ?p=blah&town=bla_g sometimes theres and underscore sometimes there isn't.

Any idea's?

[g1smd]

See your other thread: [webmasterworld.com...]

[acimag]

thanks ;)