SEO - Lookback and ForceType removal

[Guest]

We've been looking at the SEO functionality, and we believe that 'LookBack & ForceType' should be removed.

Unlike previous versions, there is not actual ForceType being used, as we are just using a form of mod_rewrite to shift all requests into index.php, in exactly the same way as LookBack alone works.

This causes some problems with the pagination on some pages, and the only way around it would be some kind of dirty hack, which we really want to avoid.

So, please let us know what you think using the poll above, and feel free to comment on the issue

[Guest Brivtech]

To be honest, I don't really understand exactly what this means. I usen the apache rewrite rule (through the .htaccess), which works fine for me. Until I better understand this, I'm of the opinion of "Don't Know" - If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As I don't use what you're suggesting, if it's not in an updated version, it probably won't make any difference to me.

Clearly, I can't speak for other people though.

On the subject of SEO, can you post up a topic to discuss the pros and cons of the different features currently implemented, so we can discuss their merits, and suggest improvements? I don't have permission to post a new topic in this new category.

[Guest]

mod_rewrite

This generates a pseudo URL in the form /store_dir/category/sub-category/(prefix)_(unique_id).html

The requests are cleverly mapped by Apache to the store's index.php file, and processed to display the right page, while alluding to be a static page in a directory structure.

LookBack

generates a URL in the form of /store_dir/index.php/category/sub_category/(prefix)_(unique_id).html

the requests to this page are actually handled by PHP parsing all the data that follows index.php in the address

Lookback + Forcetype

This used to work similarly to lookback, but instead of index.php/category/..., would generate URLs in the form index/category/... passing the request to a file named index (no file extension), which would be 'forced' to execute as PHP, and include the index.php

in v4, its actually handled using a form of mod_rewrite to pass all index/ requests to index.php/

so, lookback, and lookback + forcetype are actually the same thing, except the latter drops the .php extension, uses mod_rewrite, and breaks pagination in places, hence why i think it should be dropped, as its supposed to be an alternative to the others, rather then implementing both

[Guest Brivtech]

Yah, drop the blighter then! :on2long: