Re: If it is possible, avoid complexity

[Davi Leal]

Victor Engmark wrote:
> Klaus Weiss wrote:
> > Yes mod_rewrite isn't absolutely needed. The webapp can always be
> > reached through index.php?cntr=foo&action=bar&args=bar2. However we need
> > something (probably a function within the HTML helper) to describe URLs
> > easy. So that the webapp itself can decide whether it display URLs like
> > in mod_rewrite or the standard way.
>
> Here are a couple usability hints I've picked up so far for good URLs:
>
>    - Don't use several roots ("www.gnuherds.org" and "gnuherds.org"),
>      they will be indexed as different sites by search engines.

Right now, we are using only "www.gnuherds.org".


>    - Use short URLs as much as possible:
>       - Only use "www." at the beginning of URLs if "site.tld" is the
>         default, and that's using another protocol. I.e., we should use
>         gnuherds.org, not www.gnuherds.org, for the web site as long as
>         gnuherds.org is primarily that.

Right now, we are doing a redirect from gnuherds.org to www.gnuherds.org

    <VirtualHost *:443>
        ServerName gnuherds.org

        ServerAdmin address@hidden

        Redirect / https://www.gnuherds.org/

        SSLEngine on
        SSLCertificateFile    /etc/apache2/ssl/gnuherds.org--cert.pem
        SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/apache2/ssl/gnuherds.org--key.pem
    </VirtualHost>

So, should I reconfigure apache to get just a gnuherds.org.  To avoid
losing bookmarks with this specific modification, we can do a redirect
from www.gnuherds.org to gnuherds.org


>       - Use technology independent URLs. I.e., use /jobs/ instead of
>         /jobs.php. It's also good if the programming language ever
>         changes.

I will take note about this at the Savannah task manager.


>       - Don't include protocol and site name when linking to the same
>         site. I.e., links should be of the form "/blah", instead of "
>         http://gnuherds.org/blah";. This is already done some places, I
>         believe.

While I was updating the source code to use always HTTPS, I removed that
'full' URLs.  However as the site-entry-point directory is always the
same, I even removed the '/', being "blah" instead of "/blah". Right?

The apache redirect add always a "/" if it is needed?.


>       - Refer to "directory/" instead of "directory/index.php". The
>         former will resolve to the latter on the server side if the
>         server is properly configured. This also works for forms.

Yes, we are linking to www.gnuherds.org/ at the logo-image, instead of to
www.gnuherds.org/index.php

Note that right now, we have only one directory, the site entry point.
Others directories are used to keep images, conf files, etc., but not
to keep webapp pages.


>    - Make sure URLs are readable as far as possible. "/jobs" is IMO a
>      lot more readable than the current "/FS_Job_Offers.php".

I agree with you!.

I think this task will be the same than above "/jobs/ instead of
/jobs.php"

Just a comment:  "/jobs"  or "/jobs/".    The former?


> These tips can be easily done with mod_rewrite (anyone using old bookmarks
> will just be redirected) and a couple renamings of files, and would be good
> SEO and usability practice.

So, we will modify the webapp interface in the Klaus new architecture,
but keep backward compatibility using mod_rewrite. Isn't it?

It would be cool if the Klaus' architecture offers that new interface as
default, without the need of mod_rewrite. So, more clean.  Anyway, the
main goal is get it working.

Davi