Andy Chase

Mod_rewrite wasn't nearly the monster to figure out that I was anticipating. Actually, I think I spent more time recompiling Apache than I did figuring out the rewrite rules for the blog indexes and entries.

Still, that Voodoo quote at the top of the Apache page holds true. Mod_rewrite is damned cool voodoo. Two quick rewrite rules, and with a flick of the switch (well, with an apachectl restart) a nasty URL like '/blogs.php4?year=2001?month=10' becomes /blog/2001/10/index.html

This sets up an easily remembered taxonomy for looking up a blog index from any given month and year, and the second rule lets you take it right down to the day, as in /blog/2001/09/25/index.html

Nor does it have to be arranged by day; I could set up paths like /photos/architecture/greene/gamble/index.html if I were so inclined. I'll have to give that one some thought.

But probably the biggest plus is that, as far as search engines are concerned, this is one big static HTML site. As far as other surfers are concerned, the URLs are highly transportable.

The rest of the day was spent shoring up the database interface page, allowing for adds/updates of blog entries, that sort of thing. Next comes the lower-level automation stuff; automatic links to the next & previous blog entry, next & previous months' index, etc.

But now it's late Sunday night, and since I have to drag my sullen self to work in the morning I'd best get to bed.