Dynamic Routing in PHP Without a Framework

Postato il di Alessio Puppi

Dynamic Routing in PHP: How It Works and Why It’s the Core of Every Dynamic Website

🧭 Introduction

Every modern website needs a dynamic structure. This means that when a user visits a specific page, the server must know what content to load, what logic to execute, and what layout to display.
This is made possible through a mechanism called the router.

But what exactly is routing?
And how can we build an effective routing system using pure PHP, without relying on a framework?

📌 What Is Routing?

Routing is the mechanism that analyzes the URL requested by a user and determines which piece of PHP code should be executed.
It acts like a switchboard: it receives incoming requests and directs them to the right controller.

Example:

/about         →   AboutController@index
/view?slug=x   →   ViewController@index
/login         →   LoginController@index

🧱 Project Structure Overview

A well-designed router typically includes:

  • routes.php: a map between URL paths and controller methods
  • index.php: the main entry point that parses the URI and manages requests
  • Controllers: PHP classes that handle logic and data
  • Views: HTML templates that render content to the user

⚙️ How It Works

1. Route Map

In routes.php, you define a simple route map:

$routes = [
    "/" => "HomeController@index",
    "/about" => "AboutController@index",
    "/contact" => "ContactController@index",
    "/view" => "ViewController@index",
];

2. URI Parsing and Dispatch

In index.php, the system analyzes the requested URI:

$requestUri = parse_url($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], PHP_URL_PATH);
$requestUri = $requestUri === '' ? '/' : $requestUri;

foreach ($routes as $pattern => $handler) {
    if ($pattern === $requestUri) {
        list($controller, $method) = explode('@', $handler);
        require_once "controllers/$controller.php";
        $instance = new $controller();
        $instance->$method();
        return;
    }
}
http_response_code(404);
echo "Page not found.";

3. Controller

Here’s a basic controller example:

class ViewController {
    public function index() {
        $slug = $_GET['slug'] ?? '';
        if (!$slug) {
            echo "Missing slug.";
            return;
        }

        // Fetch data from the database...
        $content = "Article text with slug: $slug";

        // Load the view
        include 'views/view.php';
    }
}

4. View

view.php is the template that displays the content:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <title>Article</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Article</h1>
  <div>
    <?= $content ?>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

🧠 Why Use a Custom Router?

  • ✅ Full control over routing logic
  • ✅ Adding new pages is simple: just one line in the route map, one controller method
  • ✅ Easy management of sessions, roles, and authentication
  • ✅ Much lighter than a full framework

🔮 Advanced Enhancements

To take it to the next level, you can:

  • Use regex patterns in routes (e.g., /view/([a-z0-9-]+))
  • Support multiple HTTP methods (GET, POST)
  • Handle dynamic URL parameters
  • Add middleware (authentication, filters, etc.)

🧭 Conclusion

Routing is the heart of every dynamic website.
Building it in a modular, clear, and scalable way ensures readable, maintainable, and powerful code.
Whether you’re building a simple blog or a full platform, a robust routing system is what turns a static site into a living one.

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