Cloaking ????

[sitami]

Ok here is my final problem

i want it so if a user types http://www.matesonline.co.uk/username <-- replace username with the name of the person they want to view
it will redirect to http://www.matesonline.co.uk/viewpro...p?vmpid=userid

i want it to query the database and depending on the username will insert the userid.


not sure if i explained it properly but those experienced will understand what i mean.

this will be the last time i require help


thanks in advance

[piz]

Re: Cloaking ????

i want it so if a user types http://www.matesonline.co.uk/username (replace username with the name of the person they want to view)
it will redirect to http://www.matesonline.co.uk/viewprofile.php?vmpid=userid

Make an .htaccess file, switch the RewriteEngine on and use this directive to redirect (assuming your server does support htaccess and mod_rewrite):

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(http://www.matesonline.co.uk)/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$ $1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2

i want it to query the database and depending on the username will insert the userid.

$sql = "SELECT * FROM your_user_table WHERE vmpid = ".$_GET['vmpid'];
$res = mysql_query($sql); 

... you'll be able to go on?
if not, explain exactly what you want to do.

not sure if i explained it properly but those experienced will understand what i mean.

You'll make it easier for us if you explain it as detailed as possible. Thx.

this will be the last time i require help

You're sure? ;-)

Greetz
piz

[sitami]

hi Piz.

im not exactly sure how to make a .htaccess file.

also just so you are aware incase you thougth differently i dont want to restrict access to a page if they dont type domain.com/username


i cant believe i admitted i dont know how to make a .htaccess file
never used them before

would prefer to do it soley in php if possible


thanks for your help so far

[piz]

im not exactly sure how to make a .htaccess file.

create plain text File namend .htaccess -> Open your ftp client -> connect -> upload in this directory. ;-)

also just so you are aware incase you thougth differently i dont want to restrict access to a page if they dont type domain.com/username

You won't restrict anything. But it would be recommanable to add a character when typing http://...../username to difference the usernames from the subfolders (if you have subfolders).

i cant believe i admitted i dont know how to make a .htaccess file
never used them before

--> http://www.sitepoint.com/article/910/1
--> http://www.zend.com/zend/spotlight/searchengine.php
--> http://www.freewebmasterhelp.com/tutorials/htaccess/1
--> http://httpd.apache.org/docs/misc/rewriteguide.html

would prefer to do it soley in php if possible

You won't be able. You try to open a file in the browser which doesn't exist. There can't be executed any php code then.

There are three possibilities...
1) create a directory for each user with an index file which redirects to the script you want to execute (i wouldn't...)
2) you redirect the 404 error document to your script to execute (i wouldn't, neither... that's very very very ugly, and fills up the loggfiles with useless entries...)
3) you change the url by the apache server with above mentioned mod_rewrite

Saludo
piz

[raf]

solely in PHP heh.

Maybe i'm just not experienced enough, but i'd assume that the webserver then starts looking for a file like http://www.matesonline.co.uk/username/index.*
so unless you actually create a real directory for each user, your webserver will throw a 'file not found'.

I tink you'll need the mod_rewrite to point the webserver to the actual file that you need to proces the requested url (not sure if the http://www.matesonline.co.uk/username is stored in any ofter the server-variables, but that is easy to found out by printing them all).
If you get that far, then it's just a matter of creating an array for the url (use explode("/', xxxxx) tobuild the array and then grab the last element or use a dirname() on the last element if there is a filename added to the http://www.matesonline.co.uk/username
You then use that value inside the where clause of your selec and redirect (using header(location : ...) to the page.

Lotts of if's ...I'd need some experimenting to see if it'spossible, but i fear that the first step will already fail on an error 404 ...

<edit>posts crossed (got distracted). seams like we both agree that it's probably a no-go</edit>

[sitami]

ok...

created a blank .htaccess file and uploaded it

where do i put
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(http://www.matesonline.co.uk)/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$ $1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2

?

[piz]

created a blank .htaccess file and uploaded it

where do i put

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^([url]http://www.matesonline.co.uk[/url])/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$ $1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2

In the htaccess file.
Have a look at the tutorials, before. It'll help you.
And be aware that there are provider which don't support all htaccess directives or don't support mod_rewrite.

[sitami]

ok thanks

i'll let you know how i get on.
hosting the site on one of the servers at work so i can always change it

thanks both of you for your help ...........again

[sitami]

having a problem
i have had to add the following line to my httpd.conf file because it didnt exist
AddModule mod_rewrite.c
LoadModule mod_rewrite.so etc etc already existed so thats ok

Added
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^(http://www.matesonline.co.uk)/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$ $1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2
</IfModule>
to my httpd.conf like instructed @ http://www.sitepoint.com/article/guide-url-rewriting/2

but when i kill apache and attampt to restart it wont start back up .. if i remove AddModule etc it will start back up but the REWRITE DOESNT WORK

if i didnt have a shaved head i'd pull my hair out

please help

[sitami]

ok its 12:30 am and i still cant figure this one out. have loked through all the guides but cant work out bhy i cant get it to work

anyone throw any light on this ?

[Nightfire]

Not dived into this area much, but I'm guessing the first $ is causing the problems

RewriteRule ^(http://www.matesonline.co.uk)/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$ $1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2

[piz]

Originally posted by Nightfire
Not dived into this area much, but I'm guessing the first $ is causing the problems

RewriteRule ^(http://www.matesonline.co.uk)/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$ $1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2

It shouldn't. 'Cause it is not the first $, it's the last one of the pattern string and means "end of string".
After the space the replace string starts.

But you can try it without anyway.

[sitami]

still not doing anything
i have the following line in my httpd.conf
LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

and in the .htaccess file i have teh following
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(http://www.matesonline.co.uk)/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2


tried the last bit woth 1 & 2 $ but nothing... what am i doing wrong ?

[piz]

Originally posted by sitami
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(http://www.matesonline.co.uk)/([a-zA-Z0-9_]*)/?$1/viewprofile.php?vmpid=$2

There is a space missing, before $1.

The only thing i can recommend you, is to read the tutorials and start with very very simple RewriteRules without RegExp to check if mod_rewrite is working and how it is working.

A simple one:

RewriteRule /start /myIndex.html

This should redirect you to myIndex.html in the root direcotry of your webserver if you type http://your_hoste/start in.