.htaccess - redirect from subdirectory to root directory and remember in enviroment requested path

Question

I have some difficulties with the mod_rewrite rules for language folders. I want to rewrite any request on: www.example.com/lang/* to: www.example.com/*

I add rule

RewriteRule ^lang/(.*)$ \/$1

As I use several language I'd like to save in enviroment wich exactly language in URL is typed at first opening of site.

Futher I use rule

SetEnvIf Referer "www.example.com/lang1/" LANG=1
SetEnvIf Referer "www.example.com/lang2/" LANG=2

So I got language to show on site

However I could not get this enviroment when typing address www.example.com/lang1/ in browser

Answer 1

As this is an internal rewrite (the new path is used instead of the old one), there is no communication with the client and therefore no new Referer set.

But using the referer is always unreliable. Consider modifying the RewriteRule so that it contains the original request URI in the query string.

This would be

RewriteRule ^lang/(.*)$ \/$1&uri=%{REQUEST_URI}

if your requests contain a query string, and

RewriteRule ^lang/(.*)$ \/$1?uri=%{REQUEST_URI}

if not. The original URI would then be contained in the variable $_GET['uri'] .