Easy Dynamic Pages

Dynamic, search-engine friendly pages using PHP and .htaccess, that look more like directories than PHP pages.

This contains 2 files, usage is described below:

------- File named: .htaccess
ForceType application/x-httpd-php3

------- File named: site (no extension)
<?
$dbserver = "localhost";
$dbuser = "mysqlusername";
$dbpass = "mysqlpassword";
$database = "yourdatabase";

mysql_connect($dbserver,$dbuser,$dbpass);
mysql_select_db($database);

$url_array=explode("/",$REQUEST_URI);
$product = $url_array[count($url_array)-1];

print "<b>DEBUG</b>: product is $product<br><br>
";

$result = mysql_query("select * from content where content_page = '$product'");
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);

echo "<b>Title is</b> $row[content_title]<br>
";
echo "<b>Summary is</b> $row[content_summary]<br>
";
echo "<b>Added on</b> $row[content_created]<br>
";
echo "<b>Edited on</b> $row[content_edited]<br>
";
echo "<b>Body</b>: $row[content_body]<br>
";
echo "<b>Created by</b>: $row[content_creator]<br>
";
echo "<b>Parent</b>: $row[content_parent]<br>
";

$result = mysql_query("select content_summary,content_title,content_page from content where content_parent = '$row[content_page]'");

while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
?>* <a href="site/<? echo $row[content_page]; ?>" onmouseover="window.status='<? echo $row[content_summary]; ?>';return true
" onmouseout="window.status='<? echo $pagename; ?>';return true"><? echo $row[content_title]; ?></a><br><?
}

mysql_close();
?>

------- Database SCHEMA
CREATE TABLE content (
content_page varchar(15) NOT NULL,
content_summary varchar(200) NOT NULL,
content_body blob NOT NULL,
content_creator int(5) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
content_created datetime DEFAULT '0000-00-00 00:00:00' NOT NULL,
content_edited datetime DEFAULT '0000-00-00 00:00:00' NOT NULL,
content_title varchar(20) NOT NULL,
content_parent varchar(15) DEFAULT 'site',
PRIMARY KEY (content_page)
);

------- Usage

Firstly, insert data into the database. Top level (front page) should have
content_page set to 'site', with its subpages having the content_parent of
'site'. Call the page like: http://www.yourdomain/location/of/site to view
front page, or site/services to view page called 'services', etc. If you
combine this with Philip Olsons templates tutorial
(http://www.evilwalrus.com/viewcode.php3?id=49) and you can easily create
dynamic, search-engine friendly pages.

Basically, 'site' is a PHP script. Calling it like site/services is the
same as calling a normal script as site.php?page=services. I have just
removed the extension (and turned it into PHP using .htaccess). This
should make it safe for searchengines, which don't often like pages
such as site.php?page=services.

This obviously needs lots of work, but if you need any help just post
in the EvilWalrus forums (http://www.evilwalrus.com/phorum) and I will help you!

------- Update: 21 July 2000
It could be very handy to add a 'page rendering counter' to the bottom of these pages, just for fun. Could also help pinpoint some errors/bad coding. Look at http://www.evilwalrus.com/viewcode.php?id=86 for more info.