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Nieuwe pagina aangemaakt met ' = Rewrite Philosophy for MediaWiki = MediaWiki is not a traditional website built from static files. It is a ''title‑driven application'' where almost every URL — even those that look like files — must be routed through <code>index.php</code>. This page explains the philosophy behind the Apache rewrite rules used on this server, so future administrators understand ''why'' the rules exist and ''what'' they protect. == 1. MediaWiki routes titles, not…'

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= Rewrite Philosophy for MediaWiki =

MediaWiki is not a traditional website built from static files. It is a ''title‑driven application'' where almost every URL — even those that look like files — must be routed through <code>index.php</code>.
This page explains the philosophy behind the Apache rewrite rules used on this server, so future administrators understand ''why'' the rules exist and ''what'' they protect.

== 1. MediaWiki routes titles, not files ==

A URL such as:

<pre>
/Bestand:2017-1712.jpg
</pre>

is '''not''' a real file.
It is a ''page title'' that happens to contain a colon and end with <code>.jpg</code>.

If Apache treats this as a static file, MediaWiki never receives the request.
This breaks:

* file description pages
* thumbnail generation
* metadata extraction
* upload history
* namespace routing

'''Therefore: namespace titles must always be routed to MediaWiki.'''

== 2. Static files must be served directly — but only real ones ==

MediaWiki has real static assets:

* <code>/resources/</code>
* <code>/skins/</code>
* <code>/images/</code>
* <code>/favicon.ico</code>

These should bypass PHP for performance.

However, only '''actual files''' should bypass PHP — not titles that merely ''look'' like files.

This is why the rewrite rules include a safeguard to prevent namespace titles from being mistaken for static files.

== 3. Namespaces always contain a colon ==

This is the key principle.

Every namespace title follows the pattern:

<pre>
/Namespace:Page
</pre>

Examples:

* <code>Bestand:</code>
* <code>File:</code>
* <code>Media:</code>
* <code>Research:</code>
* <code>ICT:</code>
* any future namespace
* any language alias

Because of this, the rewrite rules include:

<pre>
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/[^/]+:
</pre>

This ensures that '''any URL containing a namespace prefix is routed to MediaWiki''', even if it ends with <code>.jpg</code>, <code>.png</code>, <code>.css</code>, or <code>.js</code>.

This rule is future‑proof and protects all namespaces automatically.

== 4. Everything else is rewritten to MediaWiki ==

After excluding:

* API entry points
* static assets
* real files
* MediaWiki’s own image storage

…all remaining URLs are rewritten to:

<pre>
/index.php?title=$1
</pre>

This ensures MediaWiki handles:

* pages
* categories
* files
* templates
* modules
* custom namespaces
* extensions

This is the core of MediaWiki’s routing model.

== 5. Why this philosophy matters ==

Rewrite rules are powerful but fragile.
A single misplaced rule can silently break:

* file pages
* thumbnails
* namespaces
* extensions
* VisualEditor
* REST endpoints

Documenting the ''intent'' behind the rules ensures that:

* future administrators understand the logic
* upgrades do not break routing
* debugging is easier
* the configuration remains stable over time

This philosophy is part of the long‑term stewardship of the system.

== Summary ==

'''Rewrite only real static files.
Route everything else — especially anything with a namespace — through MediaWiki.'''

ICT:Rewrite Philosophy - Revision history