redirect /app.php to prevent duplicate content

[Tobion]

Improved version of #497. This time it's compatible with Apache < 2.3.9 by not using the END flag. It also features default compatibility with apache aliases (inspired by Zend). And it improves the rewriting performance for the homepage by preventing the process to apply to each DirectoryIndex file.

Now I could also make the startpage work when mod_rewrite is not available.

I tested it thoroughly and also debugged apache rewriting to see what's happening.
It was quite hard to find out how to achieve all that. This resource helped quite a bit.

May be good if someone else can confirm all works.

Example behavior for each scenario:

With mod_rewrite:

• / -> internally rewritten to use front controller (app.php)
• /path -> internally rewritten to use front controller
• /app.php/path -> external permanent redirect to /path to prevent duplicate content
• /app.php or /app.php/-> external permanent redirect to / to prevent duplicate content
• /app.phpF stays as-is

Without mod_rewrite but with mod_alias (default module):

• / -> external temporary redirect to /app.php/ so it's explicit and all generated links on the startpage also work with the base path prepended
• /path -> stays as-is and would probably return a 404 (we cannot safely and easily redirect with mod_alias to /app.php/path because we don't know if the request references a real file like CSS)
• /app.php/path -> stays as-is and works because the front controller is given
• /app.php -> stays as-is and works because the front controller is given

In an aliased environment with mod_rewrite:

• /myproject/ -> internally rewritten to use front controller (app.php)
• /myproject/path -> internally rewritten to use front controller
• /myproject/app.php/path -> external permanent redirect to /myproject/path to prevent duplicate content
• /myproject/app.php -> external permanent redirect to /myproject/ to prevent duplicate content

In an aliased environment without mod_rewrite:

• /myproject/ -> stays as-is and works because it uses the DirectoryIndex definition (but the links will not work)
• /myproject/path -> stays as-is and would probably return a 404 (except there is such a file)
• /myproject/app.php/path -> stays as-is and works because the front controller is given
• /myproject/app.php -> stays as-is and works because the front controller is given

[colinfrei]

Tested as well on Apache 2.2.16

[fabpot]

DirectoryIndex without any argument looks weird to me. I don't see any mention of this syntax (and what it does) in the Apache docs.

[Tobion]

It just specifies no index file.

[Tobion]

changed as part of another improvement

[Tobion]

ping @gimler @vxf @neilferreira considering you commented on the intial PR

[gimler]

it works for me server version: Apache/2.2.22 (Ubuntu)

[Tobion]

@gimler did you also test it in an aliased environment?

[gimler]

no only simple vhost

[jalliot]

@Tobion if it is merged here, you should also probably submit an equivalent PR to symfony's ApacheMatcherDumper.

[Tobion]

@jalliot you are right. Thanks for the hint. The apache dumper is also quite strange. For example if you request it with /app.php/... the dumped routes wont even be used.

[Tobion]

Now I also could also make the startpage work when mod_rewrite is not available.
I also updated the examples in the PR description. @fabpot it's tested and should be ready.