URL Remapping, IIS 7.0 Integrated Mode and DB driven Website.

Endimion · Sep 14, 2008

Hello gurus

I am getting a bit frustrated with URL remapping. I have been trying to enable URL remapping for my test website (Yes, I'm still learning). As my testsite is database driven, I need to map the requested url, i.e.

http://www.mydomain.eu/Projects/EndimionControls

to something like

http://www.mydomain.eu/default.aspx?PageID=12

In the page_load event everything gets built according to the number in the querystring. So here's what I did so far:

I created a small table inside my DASP database (SQL server 2008)

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Pages](
[PageID] [int] NOT NULL,
[PageTitle] [nvarchar](100) NOT NULL,
[NavigateURL] [nvarchar](100) NOT NULL,
[ParentID] [int] NULL,
[SortNo] [int] NOT NULL,
[IsInMenu] [smallint] NOT NULL,
[IsVisible] [smallint] NOT NULL,
[CreateDate] [datetime] NULL,
[ValidFrom] [date] NULL,
[ValidTo] [date] NULL,)
[*]

I created an SQL function, which returns a full path from the current page up the hierarchy:

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[GetMappingURL]
(
-- Add the parameters for the function here
@PageID int
)
RETURNS nvarchar(250)
AS
BEGIN
DECLARE @RES NVARCHAR(250);
DECLARE @ParentID INT;

SET @ParentID=(SELECT ParentID FROM dbo.Pages WHERE PageID=@PageID)
IF @ParentID IS NULL
BEGIN
SET @RES=(Select NavigateURL FROM dbo.Pages WHERE <a target="_blank" href="mailtoageID=@PageID)%20END">PageID=@PageID)
END</A>
ELSE
BEGIN
SET @RES=dbo.GetMappingURL(@ParentID) + (Select NavigateURL FROM dbo.Pages WHERE <a target="_blank" href="mailtoageID=@PageID)%20END">PageID=@PageID)
END</A>RETURN @RES
END
[*]

Next, I create a stored procedure, which, when fired, will put everything together (PageID, PageTitle, Full URL as computed by afforementioned function:

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[GetMenuItems]
AS
BEGIN
SET NOCOUNT ON;
SELECT
PageID,
PageTitle as Title,
ParentID,
'.' + dbo.GetMappingURL(PageID) as MappingURL
FROM dbo.Pages
ORDER BY ParentID, SortNo
END
[*]

With SQL Server setup done, We move to the ASP.NET side of this horror of mine.I created a new website (My dev environment is Win XP and VS 2008 SP1) Added a "default.aspx" page to it. Next, in App_Code Folder, I created a new Class, named "URLRewriter" which implements IHttpModule:

Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System.Web.HttpRuntime
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.SqlClient

Public Class URLRewriter
Implements IHttpModule
Dim WithEvents app As HttpApplication
Public Sub Dispose() Implements System.Web.IHttpModule.Dispose
End Sub
Public Sub Init(ByVal context As System.Web.HttpApplication) Implements System.Web.IHttpModule.Init
app = context
AddHandler app.BeginRequest, AddressOf Me.BeginRequest
End Sub
Public Sub BeginRequest(ByVal s As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
Dim MenuPath As String = app.Request.ApplicationPath
Dim FullPath As String = app.Request.RawUrl.ToString
Dim MappedPath As String = app.Request.PathInfo.ToString
Dim CheckPath As String = Replace(FullPath, MenuPath, "")
Dim rm As String = Replace(app.Request.Url.ToString, FullPath, "") & MenuPath
Dim rp As String = app.Request.ServerVariables("SERVER_NAME")
Dim conn As New SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("DataConn").ConnectionString)
Dim cmd As New SqlCommand("GetMenuItems", conn)
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
Dim da As New SqlDataAdapter
Dim Data As New DataTable
Dim dv As New DataView
Dim dt1 As New DataTable
da.SelectCommand = cmd
Dim RWPATH As String
Using conn
da.Fill(Data)
End Using
dv = Data.DefaultView
dv.RowFilter = "MappingURL='" & "." & CheckPath & "'"
If dv.Count = 1 Then
dt1 = dv.ToTable
RWPATH = "~/Default.aspx?PageID=" & dt1.Rows(0).Item(0).ToString
app.Context.RewritePath(RWPATH)
End If

End Sub
End Class
[*]In my Web.config file I do have the following

<httpModules>
<add name="URLRewriter" type="URLRewriter, App_Code"/>
<add name="ScriptModule" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptModule, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
</httpModules>

<system.webServer>
<validation validateIntegratedModeConfiguration="false"/>
<modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true">
<remove name="ScriptModule"/>
<add name="URLRewriter" type="URLRewriter, App_Code"/>
<add name="ScriptModule" preCondition="managedHandler" type="System.Web.Handlers.ScriptModule, System.Web.Extensions, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31BF3856AD364E35"/>
</modules>
[*]

The ConnectionString points to the right database, and when I execute the page in the browser I do get a valid response. I mean, When I type http://www.mydomain.eu It loads the page. But whenever I try to request the page like:http://www.mydomain.eu/Projects/Foobar I always end up in the
HTTP Error 404.0 - Not Found

Module
IIS Web Core

Notification
MapRequestHandler

Handler
StaticFile

Error Code
0x80070002
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I am not an ASP.NET pro, and I probably never will be. I would just like to put things I wanna share on the site and get it running.
When I try to debug the site in VS, i set a breakpoint in the URLRewriter BeginRequest sub. It fires each and every time, so request gets processed. I am pretty sure, there is some sort of a dumb mistake on my behalf. I just don't know how to find it. I already saved a trip to a hair dresser, and made an appointment with lung cancer doctor.
I would also like to add, that I managed to find no tutorial on the net regarding URL remapping of DB driven web sites. Or I am just not looking good enough.....

Thanks
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wisemx · Sep 14, 2008

Hi,
Wow
You have something going there, don't give up.
I haven't seen DB driven rewrites, personally it would worry me.
I'm not sure about that however.
Have you searched Dot Net Kicks?
I submit a lot of UIRL Rewrite articles there.
http://www.dotnetkicks.com/spy

Use the Search box and you'll find a bunch of articles.

Two other tools I have done for the community are these ASP.NET Code Search tools.
Microsoft: http://search.live.com/macros/wisemx/aspnet/?FORM=OIJG
Google: http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=009244845836111659857%3Albvxsjj8mho

I'm ashamed to say the Google method above is better, typically.
Salute,
Mark

Endimion · Sep 15, 2008

Hi Mark.

May I ask why it would worry you? This was my idea of having a really simple CMS built. If I'm doing something potentially wrong or seriously flawed, do tell me. I will be happilly to learn from the ones that know better.

And by the way. I got it working on my Dev environment (with integrated IIS). No luck with DASP servers so far

Thanks

P.S. If I get it working on DASP I will write a really short tutorial about it

wisemx · Sep 15, 2008

Hi,
My concern would be the timing if a round trip for records, any procedure, was needed.
I wouldn't expect anything bad, only possibly sluggish. I'm interested none the less.
Many of the CMS packages of course do this sort of thing to build content.
Salute,
Mark

Endimion · Sep 16, 2008

Hello

Well, for as far as the "Pages" table, which holds the Page level data (Page Title, Virtual path, etc.) I thought that my best shot si to pop it into cache and refresh the cache whenever the structure of the site changes. About the content... Well One possibility I was thinking about, was writting it in a well structured XML files, One for each page. And When my Page__load event fires, It Would parse and load content into the page? Would that be better thanloading the SQL DB Result set?

One thing about httpmodules. as I have written in my first post. Whenever it fires a 404 error, i see that request expects a Static File Handler. Do I need to add a script map for extensionless URLs in IIS 7.0 as well? As far as I was able to find out, this was only needed in IIS 6.0 and older versions? ma I wrong?

Best regards.

Bruce · Sep 16, 2008

I suggest you staying put on this. Microsoft just released IIS 7's rewriting module. We are testing it and if all goes well, expect it soon.

Bruce

DiscountASP.NET
www.DiscountASP.NET

Endimion · Sep 18, 2008

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It works with a charm. There was actually nothing wrong with my httpmodule. The one and only reason above code did not perform was in the way my "Virtual URL's" were being constructed. And module never really got the right request to match it up against the datatable value. Fixed that and now it works like heaven

THANK YOU.

P.S. At least I won't lose all my hair before my baby daughter is born in November......

Endimion

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URL Remapping, IIS 7.0 Integrated Mode and DB driven Website.

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URL Remapping, IIS 7.0 Integrated Mode and DB driven Website.

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