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Apache mod_rewrite

The Apache mod_rewrite tool is for rewriting URLs using the Apache web server.  Apache is used as the primary web server on all Linux and Unix based operating systems.  LIke much of what is available on Unix and Linux webservers, this is a Free module that can be installed onto a web server.  Actually it is installed by default on many hosting company webservers, so ask them about it.  Like any URL rewritiing webserver application, you will need to ensure that you use the application the proper way to ensure that you are not looping webpages, pointing to an incorrect location, or creating duplicate content. 

How it works

To really learn all of the in's and out's of this software, is way beyond the scope of what this webpage is about.  This page is simply an brief introduction to the fact that this tool exists, it is great, and you should use.  With that brief disclaimer said...Here we go.  If you visit the Apache 2.0 website you will learn more about this software then you ever wanted to know.

  • The mod_rewrite module after installed will usually be immediately available to all websites hosted on the selected server.
  • The configuration is done within the httpd.conf file for the apache webserver.  Typically within each virtual host are where to configuaration parameters are listed..
  • The mod_rewrite parameter is listed within each virtual host account.
  • Example #1:

    RewriteRule /example1.htm /example1.asp [I,L]

    This rewrite rule says that if the server gets a request for the file /example1.htm to redirect to the location for file of the server for /sample1.asp.
  • Requets Done

So what does it all do?  We'll good question, and by the example above we are seeing that you are able to redirect and point a file to point to a totally different internal location.  The web visitor will be totally transparent once the referral is active. 

A more complex example:

/example.php?class=isapi_rewrite&category=examples&pageid=arefun

internally points to

/example/isapi_rewrite/examples/arefun.html

Just like the other redirecting softwware, the mod_rewrite module is well tested and a great way to provide friendly URLs to the search engine spiders.  This will help to get indexed, listed and ranked within the engines.
 
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