How to Redirect .php Files with .htaccess while Preserving Static Content

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How to Redirect .php Files with .htaccess while Preserving Static Content

Understanding the Problem

Your initial .htaccess configuration looks similar to this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

What’s Wrong with the Current Setup?

The current setup will redirect any request that is not a valid file or directory (which includes image files, CSS, and JS). This can lead to issues where users can't access these important resources. The goal is to redirect only the requests that target .php files or those that do not exist.

The Solution: Updated .htaccess Configuration

To achieve the desired outcome, we need to make some adjustments to your .htaccess file. Here’s the revised code you should implement:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Code

Enable Rewrite Engine:

RewriteEngine On activates the use of mod_rewrite.

Redirecting .php Files:

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} .php [NC] checks if the requested URI contains .php. The NC flag indicates case-insensitive matching.

Handling Non-Existing Files:

The next two lines check if the requested file or directory does not exist (!-d for directories and !-f for files).

Addressing Static Content Issues

Even with the above configuration, you might encounter issues when linking to static resources like images or CSS files, particularly if using relative paths. Here’s how you can address that:

Using the <base> Tag for Static Links

To ensure that your static resources load correctly, consider using the base tag in the header of your HTML document:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This way, relative URLs will always point to the root of your application, allowing files like JS and CSS to load without a hitch regardless of the current URL structure.

Conclusion

Redirecting .php files while keeping static content intact can be a complex task, but with the right .htaccess configuration, it can be accomplished smoothly. By implementing the solutions discussed in this post, you can ensure that your application functions correctly, leading to a better user experience.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out! Happy coding!