Pages As Folders

[GregW]

You can create pages on your site so that the URLs look like either of the following:

site.com/poker/pokerstars/
site.com/poker/pokerstars.html (or .php or whatever).

I have always preferred creating URLs with the .html (well, .php lately) extension at the end as opposed to putting index.html files in their own unique folders.

I understand that by using the site.com/poker/pokerstars/ method you can change that page extension from say .html to .php without having to use a redirect, but are there any other advantages to this method? Furthermore, where would you foresee yourself having to change page name extensions in the future (especially if you currently use .php)?

The /pokerstars/ method looks very clean, but does it cause a lot of hassle when browsing through your directory when you are looking for a file on your site? I always thought that it would cause unneccesary effort.

Basically, im looking for thoughts on using pokerstars.html or the /pokerstars/ url structure. I'd like to stick with the pokerstars.html way when I'm restructuring an older site but would be happy for anyone to try and swing me the other way.

[CK]

Hey Greg,

We use and I prefer to use the folder for a few different reasons. First like you mentioned your able to change and it made it a hell of a lot easier to switch the site from .htm to .php

Second it's a lot more organized. Our site has over 700 pages right now and if it wasn't for the folders we would have 700 loose files all in the root and I'm not sure about John but I would probably want to beat the hell out of my monitor if I had to search through all of them to find a file. The way it's set up I just click my way through and I can find what I want in a couple of seconds. Plus if he was to update a certain section (although this really doesnt pertain to you) I am able to locate the area he changed and download it again, instead of searching.

Third reason I like it is because the images are also associated with each folder. So if a folder is for such and such slot machine, not only do I have the index.php in there but I also have a folder within that file specifically for that image. Makes it super easy for me later to know where that file is if I need it without having to look for it.

Last, it allows you to control your urls better without having to use a bunch of hypens plus your able to theme the section better. For example say you have a page about sit and go tournaments and that folder was in the root, your able to easily create additional pages and based on that theme. By using a solid structure for your pages and including additional pages within each folder that share a common element, I think it improves that subjects overall performance vs leaving them loose in the root.

sorry for the long post...but in all honesty I wouldn't be able to do it any other way. Even if it wasnt for the benefit of the urls, I love how organized it is and would probably shoot myself if our site was anything but.

[vmlinuz]

as opposed to putting index.html files in their own unique folders.

You don't have to do that to have these "clean" URLs, just use mod_rewrite. Most sites don't have that directory structure you can see in the URL, they just use RewriteRules to point the URL to some other file (mostly php files, passing some parameters to it).

[Randy Ray]

You don't have to do that to have these "clean" URLs, just use mod_rewrite. Most sites don't have that directory structure you can see in the URL, they just use RewriteRules to point the URL to some other file (mostly php files, passing some parameters to it).

What's the advantage to doing it this way? To me, having an index.htm file inside of a folder seems a lot easier than having to do a mod rewrite of any kind.

[Bryan]

What's the advantage to doing it this way? To me, having an index.htm file inside of a folder seems a lot easier than having to do a mod rewrite of any kind.

It allows you to use a CMS and stop managing a site like it's still 1997

[Bryan]

To the original question...

If I were not using a CMS of any sort, I would probably use the index file inside of folders method. I don't think it's any more cumbersome to manage that having individual files, but doing so gives you the most flexibility going forward since the file extensions are irrelevant.

You can change hosting, website technology (asp, php, flat HTML, etc.) without having to worry about rewriting &/or redirecting every URL you've ever published.

[CK]

It allows you to use a CMS and stop managing a site like it's still 1997

You can still use folders and php and replicate what you would get from a cms

I would rather do it this way than to use mod rewrites and have something screw up later. The easiest way can also end being the more difficult way if something goes wrong. Same as relative vs absolute links. Yes its easy to just click and use the feature in dreamweaver but I still type in my own links to make sure that down the road I know I am not going to have problems with my site.

[GregW]

Thanks everyone, it's been a very useful thread for me. I'm going to have a bash at the index files in folders and see how that works out.

Thanks again for everyone's thoughts.

[Randy Ray]

It allows you to use a CMS and stop managing a site like it's still 1997

Ah. Good to know. Thanks.

[Bryan]

Ah. Good to know. Thanks.

Hey now, I'm sensing a little sarcasm in your post. Seems you might've missed seeing it in mine