How does a Mod_Rewrite really work?

[doubledee]

This past Summer I had some help creating my first ever Mod_Rewrite so I could have "Pretty URLs" in my website! 

 

After several months away from the code, I would like to get some help making sure that I understand how things really work!!

 

Here is my Mod_Rewrite...

RewriteEngine on

#PRETTY:		articles/postage-meters-can-save-you-money
#UGLY:			article.php?title=postage-meters-can-save-you-money

RewriteRule articles/([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)$ article.php?title=$1

 

 

This is my understanding of how things work, but please correct me if I am wrong!!

 

1.) A user clicks on the hyperlink www.MySite.com/articles/postage-meters-can-save-you-money

 

2.) Apache intercepts that URL and uses the Mod_Rewrite to transform things.  Specifically, the Mod_Rewrite converts my "Pretty URL" above to the following "Ugly URL" format...

www.MySite.com/article.php?title=postage-meters-can-save-you-money

 

3.) From this point forward, the Browser and my PHP script will always be working with the "Ugly URL"...

www.MySite.com/article.php?title=postage-meters-can-save-you-money

 

4.) But to the user, they will always see the "Pretty URL"...

www.MySite.com/articles/postage-meters-can-save-you-money

 

So if my PHP article template wants to display the article, it will need to use...

($_GET['title'])

...to locate the article in the transformed URL and then query MySQL to find said article.

 

Does all of the above sound correct or not?

 

Thanks,

 

 

Debbie