Customizing htaccess

Notes on htaccess file (apache web server configuration file)

• use # for comments (beginning of line only)

RewriteRule pattern substitution [flags]

• pattern: regex match against url
• substitution: full url (can be another domain?)
  • a dash (-) means ignored (do nothing)
• flags: case insensitive, comma-separated, may have args
  • L|last: stop evaluate other rules (if matched)
  • C|chain: chained (subsequent rules) skipped if first not matched
  • E|env: {set (E=VAR:VAL) or unset (E=!VAR) } environment variable
  • F|forbidden: returns 403 (L implied)
  • N|next: restart ruleset from top (caution: can cause infinite loop!)
  • NC|nocase: case-insensitive rule matching
  • QSA|qsappend: if subs contains query (?), append original (default:discard)

RewriteCond teststring pattern [flags]

• if present, must match for the following rule to be aplied
  • teststring: server/env variables, HTTP_HOST, REQUEST_URI, etc.
  • pattern: condition, usually a regex; can use a file attribute test
  • flags: optional, special actions