dealing with dynamic pages without mod_rewrite

[Marcia]

I've got to deal with a site with only the index page and a couple of others like ordering info being .html and the rest dynamic. mod_rewrite is not available and the hosting can't be changed; the site's done and the cart is part of the hosting.

URLs look like this - instead of kids.htm for example:

[example.com...]

I can take most text off the cart pages and do flat HTML pages, except that when you click on the "Home" graphic inside the cart back to the homepage the URL looks like this:

[example.com...]

That's not bad, but clicking back on the ordering info page, it's got the long URL.

In other words, once you're inside the cart you stay in the cgi-bin, and even html pages then appear dynamic. It'll end up with the same pages showing up with two different URLs this way.

Any solutions?

[gethan]

One solution is the use of a dynamic error document. Basically write a script that when a document is missing it looks at the request and parses it in some way.

Back before I had used mod_rewrite I was using this method :- heres a thread: [webmasterworld.com...]

Hope that helps.

[sugarkane]

> same pages showing up with two different URLs

The way I do it is to run off static versions of the cgi-bin pages, and move them to the root directory, correcting the internal links, image paths etc to reflect the new location. On a smallish site you could do this by hand quite easily, on a larger site it's probably better to automate it somehow.

So, the visitor hits www.example.com/index.html or another static page, and while browsing the site stays outside the cgi-bin. Once they choose 'add to cart' they enter the cgi-bin and stay there.

Using robots.txt to ban /cgi-bin/ would solve the duplicates problem.

[Marcia]

gethan, there's no one to be writing scripts for it, everyone's function is limited.

Actually, I don't deal directly with design, just recommendations on design issues for SEO. And it's a Front Page site, so some of the navigation is "whatever".

>static versions of the cgi-bin pages, and move them to the root directory, correcting the internal links, image paths etc to reflect the new location

The webmaster has even all the images in the cart, dynamic, says they have to be that way. That sounds like the only way, and how it'll have to be done.

>Once they choose 'add to cart' they enter the cgi-bin and stay there

OK. so like that, there are duplicate pages, so even if they're browsing another product page for more items, it won't matter if they're all the dynamic version any more (unless they want to bookmark it).

It might have to be like that, with the cgi-bin excluded. Although I'd prefer that they re-enter HTML pages to look at other items, then repeat the process. That sounds like the way to go, at least for now.

I might just download that cart and fool with it on one of my own sites to see exacty what's what.

[sugarkane]

> Although I'd prefer that they re-enter HTML pages to look at other items

The only way I can see of doing that is using cookies to keep track of a session variable - but unless your cart already works in that way, rewriting it would probably be too major an undertaking to be worthwhile...

[jatar_k]

scripting would definitely be the way to go...but...if you have no one to script then what about pushing a nice layer of html pages in there.

In essence pushing the cart down a level or adding one click to the process of entering the cart? You could then have more html pages and have a little more to work with. I think that it would still leave it so once they enter the cart they are in there for good though. Depends on how customizable the cart is.

<added>
a cookie looks like a good way to go but I just can't imagine that everything has to be in the cgi-bin, there's no way to get out?

2 - as I look at this again I realize that was no help, only reiterating what was already said and it has caused me to return to the coffee maker for a couple more cups of coffee. Caffenate before posting.