mod_rewrite not changing URLs

Question

So I just started working with Apache's mod_rewrite module and I've run into a problem I can't seem to figure out. What I want is to have the address bar display clean URLs either when a user manually types in the URL or when the page is linked to. Right now I get clean URLs when they're typed in but the query string still shows up in the address bar when the page is linked to. For example:

Typing in, myDomain.com/first takes me the page at myDomain.com/index.php?url=first and displays myDomain.com/first in the address bar.

But, when clicking a link like href="index.php?url=first". The address bar displays myDomain.com/index.php?url=first when I want it to display myDomain.com/first.

Here is my .htaccess file located in the same folder as my index file:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^([a-zA-Z0-9_\-]+)/?$ index.php?url=$1 [NC,L]
</IfModule>

Here is my index file:

<?php
define('ROOT_DIR', dirname(__FILE__) . '/'); // Define the root directory for use in includes 
require_once (ROOT_DIR . 'library/bootstrap.php');

$url = strtolower($_GET['url']);

include(ROOT_DIR . 'views/headerView.php');

switch($url)
{
    case "first": include(ROOT_DIR . 'views/firstPageView.php');
        break;
    case "second": include(ROOT_DIR . 'views/secondPageView.php');
        break;
    default: include(ROOT_DIR . 'views/homeView.php');
} 

include 'views/footerView.php';
?>

And here is homeView.php:

<p>This is the home page.</p>
<p>To the first page. <a href="index.php?url=first">First Page</a></p>
<p>To the second page. <a href="index.php?url=second">Second Page</a></p>

Any advice or help on my linking problem would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.

Answer 1

But, when clicking a link like href="index.php?url=first". The address bar displays myDomain.com/index.php?url=first when I want it to display myDomain.com/first.

You'll have to link to the "clean" URL. Remember, you're not redirecting here. You're rewriting! That mean's you'll have to change this:

<p>This is the home page.</p>
<p>To the first page. <a href="index.php?url=first">First Page</a></p>
<p>To the second page. <a href="index.php?url=second">Second Page</a></p>

To something like this:

<p>This is the home page.</p>
<p>To the first page. <a href="/url/first">First Page</a></p>
<p>To the second page. <a href="/url/second">Second Page</a></p>

Answer 2

Look those two lines :

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

It mean : if url point on a real file or folder, don't try following rules.

When you use myDomain.com/index.php?url=first , it point on a real file : index.php . Then, your rules won't be tried.

You must always use clean url like myDomain.com/first in your code.