# Dynamic Routing **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [February 25, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776 "2007-02-25T20:36:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/13edae/32.png) [@Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ernst_BeiglbSSSSck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776/1 "2007-02-25T20:36:04Z")
Hi, I want to have the following URL structure /music /movies etc. for categories of the site. /about /help etc. for static pages. Both types auf URLs should be generated dynamically. But how do I route them? map.connect ‘/:category/’, :controller=\>‘magazine’, :action=\>‘index’, :rubrik =\> // #should be generated from database, but how? map.connect ‘/:page/’, :controller=\>‘magazine’, :action=\>‘page’, :page =\> /[(help)|(about)]/ #but should also be generated dynamically Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/13edae/32.png) [@Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ernst_BeiglbSSSSck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776/2 "2007-02-25T21:52:13Z")
Sounds interesting. But I’ve already found a simpler solution, without making a plugin: map.connect ‘/’, :controller =\>‘magazin’, :action=\>‘index’ map.connect ‘/:rubrik/’, :controller=\>‘magazin’, :action=\>‘index’, :rubrik =\> Regexp.new(Category.find(:all).collect {|o| “(#{o.name})”}.join(‘|’).downcase) map.connect ‘/:page/’, :controller=\>‘magazin’, :action=\>‘page’, :page =\> Regexp.new(Page.find(:all).collect {|o| “(#{o.title})”}.join(‘|’).downcase) map.slug ‘/:slug/’, :controller =\>‘magazin’, :action=\>‘artikel’ You can create an Regexp from an array. Great. But maybe slow? nice regards, ernst On 2/25/07, Bojan M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > etc. for static pages. > > best regards, > > > – wer viel lest ist viel gebildet. ---
**Author:** ![Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/13edae/32.png) [@Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ernst_BeiglbSSSSck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776/3 "2007-02-25T21:37:12Z")
Ernst Beiglböck wrote: > Both types auf URLs should be generated dynamically. > > But how do I route them? > > map.connect ‘/:category/’, :controller=\>‘magazine’, :action=\>‘index’, > :rubrik =\> // #should be generated from database, but how? > > map.connect ‘/:page/’, :controller=\>‘magazine’, :action=\>‘page’, > :page =\> /[(help)|(about)]/ #but should also be generated dynamically > > Thanks. [http://www.aflatter.de/typo/articles/2007/01/14/dynamic-routing-in-rails](http://www.aflatter.de/typo/articles/2007/01/14/dynamic-routing-in-rails) I run into one article when looking for a way to implement routes from database and multi-language URL’s. It could be of interest to you, I didn’t try it yet: [http://www.aflatter.de/typo/articles/2007/01/14/dynamic-routing-in-rails](http://www.aflatter.de/typo/articles/2007/01/14/dynamic-routing-in-rails) best regards, Bojan – Bojan M. Informatika Mihelac, Bojan M. s.p. | [www.informatikamihelac.com](http://www.informatikamihelac.com) → tools, scripts, tricks from our code lab: [http://source.mihelac.org](http://source.mihelac.org) ---
**Author:** ![Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/13edae/32.png) [@Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ernst_BeiglbSSSSck)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776/4 "2007-02-26T02:26:33Z")
Hi – On 2/25/07, Phlip [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > etc. for static pages. > > assert\_routing ‘/mr\_smith’, > > :controller =\> ‘account’, > > :action =\> ‘home\_page’, > > :login =\> ‘mr\_smith’ > > Now you just read a \*param in your controller, and render the appropriate > response. I think you probably want :login, rather than \*login. \*login gives you a route glob, which might contain any number of fields. They’ll be delivered to the action in an array (params[:login]), whereas with :login you’ve got just one wildcard field, which will be delivered as a string. There’s a bit of a potential problem with this route, though. If someone has a login name that’s the same as a controller, you might be in trouble: > > ActionController::Routing::Routes.recognize\_path(“/dblack”) > > =\> {:login=\>“dblack”, :controller=\>“account”, :action=\>“home\_page”} > > ActionController::Routing::Routes.recognize\_path(“/questions”) > > =\> {:controller=\>“questions”, :action=\>“index”} If someone happens to sign up as “questions”, their home page link won’t work. So it might be better to do something like: map.connect ‘home/:login’, :controller =\> “account”, :action =\> “home\_page” which gives you: > > ActionController::Routing::Routes.recognize\_path(“/home/david”) > > =\> {:login=\>“david”, :controller=\>“account”, :action=\>“home\_page”} > > ActionController::Routing::Routes.recognize\_path(“/home/questions”) > > =\> {:login=\>“questions”, :controller=\>“account”, :action=\>“home\_page”} David – Q. What is THE Ruby book for Rails developers? A. RUBY FOR RAILS by David A. Black ([http://www.manning.com/black](http://www.manning.com/black)) (See what readers are saying! [http://www.rubypal.com/r4rrevs.pdf](http://www.rubypal.com/r4rrevs.pdf)) Q. Where can I get Ruby/Rails on-site training, consulting, coaching? A. Ruby Power and Light, LLC ([http://www.rubypal.com](http://www.rubypal.com)) ---
**Author:** ![Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/13edae/32.png) [@Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ernst_BeiglbSSSSck)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 12:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776/5 "2007-02-26T00:14:24Z")
Ernst Beiglböck wrote: > I want to have the following URL structure > /music > /movies > etc. for categories of the site. > > /about > /help > etc. for static pages. This provides a custom homepage for any user: [site.com/my\_name](http://site.com/my_name) map.connect ‘:controller/:action/:id’ map.connect ‘\*login’, :controller =\> ‘account’, :action =\> ‘home\_page’ The trick is that param[:login] arrives in your controller. I suspect I should have tested my system with this: ``` assert_routing '/mr_smith', :controller => 'account', :action => 'home_page', :login => 'mr_smith' ``` Now you just read a \*param in your controller, and render the appropriate response. – Phlip [Redirecting...](http://www.greencheese.us/ZeekLand) ← NOT a blog!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/13edae/32.png) [@Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ernst_BeiglbSSSSck)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776/6 "2007-02-26T19:21:38Z")
Ernst Beiglböck wrote: > “(#{o.title})”}.join(‘|’).downcase) > > map.slug ‘/:slug/’, :controller =\>‘magazin’, :action=\>‘artikel’ > > You can create an Regexp from an array. Great. But maybe slow? > > nice regards, > ernst Do you reload routes when category or page is added in database? best regards, Bojan – Bojan M. Informatika Mihelac, Bojan M. s.p. | [www.informatikamihelac.com](http://www.informatikamihelac.com) → tools, scripts, tricks from our code lab: [http://source.mihelac.org](http://source.mihelac.org) ---
**Author:** ![Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/13edae/32.png) [@Ernst\_BeiglbSSSSck](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Ernst_BeiglbSSSSck)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/dynamic-routing/86776/7 "2007-02-27T21:07:26Z")
I didn’t think of it, but now as you say it I think I better should 😉 On 2/26/07, Bojan M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > map.connect ‘/:page/’, :controller=\>‘magazin’, :action=\>‘page’, > > > – wer viel lest ist viel gebildet.