ROUTING.md

🛣️ Routing & Pretty URLs

1. The Concept

"Pretty URLs" turn ugly query strings (e.g., index.php?page=about) into clean, readable paths (e.g., /about). This improves SEO and user experience.

2. The Mechanism (.htaccess)

Core CMS uses an Apache .htaccess file to intercept all incoming requests.

How it works:

1. Interception: The server checks if the requested file (e.g., assets/images/logo.png) actually exists on the disk.
2. Passthrough: If the file exists, the server delivers it directly.
3. Rewrite: If the file does not exist (e.g., /my-blog-post), the server internally redirects the request to index.php.

The Code

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /

# If the request is not a real file or directory...
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

# ...send it to index.php
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [QSA,L]

3. PHP Handling (index.php)

Once index.php receives the request, it acts as the "Front Controller."

1. Capture: We inspect $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'].
2. Parse: We break the path into segments (e.g., /post/my-slug).
3. Dispatch:
   • /admin -> Loads admin dashboard.
   • /post/{slug} -> Queries the database for a post with that slug.
   • / -> Loads the homepage.

4. Testing & Troubleshooting

How to Test

1. Ensure the .htaccess file exists in your root directory.
2. Visit a non-existent URL like /testing-123.
3. Success: If you see your Homepage (or whatever index.php outputs), the routing is working.
4. Failure: If you see a standard Apache/Browser "404 Not Found" page, mod_rewrite is likely disabled or ignored.

Common Issues

• 404 Not Found:
  • Ensure mod_rewrite is enabled in Apache.
  • Ensure AllowOverride All is set in your Apache config (httpd.conf) for your web directory.
• 500 Internal Server Error: Usually a syntax error in .htaccess. Check your server error logs.
• Subdirectories: If installed in a subfolder (e.g., example.com/cms/), you may need to change RewriteBase / to RewriteBase /cms/.
• Nginx/IIS: This guide assumes Apache. Other servers require different configuration files.