Relative URLs In CMS: Should We Support Them?

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Relative URLs in CMS: Should We Support Them?

Hey everyone, let's dive into a bit of a technical head-scratcher: relative URLs in the context of content management systems (CMS) like PedalCMS and wp-cmf. The big question is, should we go the extra mile to support them directly, or should we leave it to developers to handle this through custom solutions? This is an interesting dilemma, and there are a few things to consider. Let's break it down, shall we?

The Core Question: Relative URLs – Yay or Nay?

So, what's the deal with relative URLs anyway? Essentially, they're URLs that specify a location relative to the current page. Think of it like giving directions; instead of saying, "Go to 123 Main Street," you might say, "Go two blocks down and turn left." In the web world, this can be super convenient. If you're building a website, and you want to link to another page within the same site, a relative URL like /about or ../products can work. This can be great since the URL will work regardless of the domain the site is hosted on. The main advantage of relative URLs is their flexibility and ease of use in internal linking, but are they worth adding into the CMS?

Now, the main idea is whether we should bake support for relative URLs right into the URL field. One of the ideas is to provide an allow_relative argument. This would give developers the option to specify whether a URL field accepts relative URLs or not. This could work, but it also adds complexity. Every time we add a feature, we need to think about how it impacts everything else. Does it make things harder to understand? Does it introduce potential bugs? Does it add unnecessary overhead? This is all stuff that needs to be considered.

Then, there's the other side of the argument which suggests we let developers handle relative URLs themselves. One way to do this is by suggesting they use a custom pattern on a text field. Think of the pattern as a special rule that the URL field needs to follow. For instance, we could provide a regex pattern, something like this: ^(\/|(\.\.\/)|(\.\/))?([a-zA-Z0-9\-._~%!{{content}}amp;'()*+,;=:@\/]*)$. This pattern would check if the URL is relative and matches the pattern. The advantage of this approach is that it gives developers more control. It allows them to define exactly what kind of URLs they want to allow. If they need to support a complex URL structure, they can tailor the pattern to fit their needs. But it puts more responsibility on the developers.

The Complexity Cost

When we consider adding the allow_relative argument, it opens up a can of worms regarding the complexity of the CMS. It means more code, more testing, and more potential points of failure. We need to be careful not to over-engineer things. Every feature needs to justify its existence, and we need to make sure the added value outweighs the cost. On the other hand, the custom pattern approach allows the user more control but puts the complexity of pattern creation on the developer. This is great for experienced developers, but it could add an extra level of difficulty for those just starting.

Why Relative URLs Matter (And When They Don't)

Benefits of Relative URLs

Relative URLs offer some pretty cool advantages, especially for internal website linking. Firstly, they make your links super flexible. Since they're relative to the current page, they work no matter where your site is hosted. This can be a huge time-saver when you're moving your site around or working on different environments like development, staging, and production. You won't have to go through and update every single link. Secondly, they can make your code cleaner and more readable. Imagine you're linking to the "About Us" page; a relative URL like /about-us is much more concise than a full URL. This can make your code easier to maintain and understand. Also, relative URLs are perfect for situations where you want to link to assets within your website such as images or style sheets.

Situations Where They Might Not Be Necessary

On the flip side, there are times when relative URLs might not be the best choice. If you're building a website that's mostly composed of external links, then relative URLs become less relevant. You'll need absolute URLs anyway to point to those external destinations. Also, if you're working with a CMS that automatically handles link generation, you might not need to worry about relative URLs. The CMS might already take care of generating the correct links. Additionally, for beginners, understanding how relative URLs work can be a bit tricky. There's always a learning curve with these things. For them, it might be easier to just use the full URLs. The extra complexity may not be worth it for smaller projects or websites with simple linking needs.

The Argument for Developer-Handled Solutions

So, why might it be better to let developers handle relative URLs themselves? Here are a few compelling reasons:

Flexibility and Customization

Developers often have specific needs that pre-built solutions might not cover. By letting them use custom patterns, we give them the freedom to define exactly what kind of URLs they need to support. They can tailor the solution to fit their particular project's requirements. This flexibility can be a game-changer, especially for complex or unique website structures. Custom patterns are also good for edge cases.

Reduced CMS Bloat

Every feature we add to the CMS increases its complexity. By shifting the responsibility of relative URLs to developers, we can keep the core CMS cleaner and simpler. This can lead to a more streamlined and maintainable system. A simpler CMS is generally easier to update, debug, and understand. This benefit extends to everyone involved, from the developers to the end-users.

Easier Maintenance

When developers handle relative URLs, they are responsible for maintaining their own patterns. This can make it easier to fix any issues that might arise. If a problem occurs, it's typically confined to a specific part of the code. This also lets the development team update their pattern without interfering with the CMS.

The Pattern Solution in Detail

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty of the custom pattern solution. We're talking about providing a regex pattern that developers can use to validate relative URLs. We can even offer a default pattern that they can use and adjust according to their needs.

The Suggested Regex Pattern

We mentioned the regex pattern earlier, but let's take a closer look at it: ^(\/|(\.\.\/)|(\.\/))?([a-zA-Z0-9\-._~%!{{content}}amp;'()*+,;=:@\/]*)$. This pattern does a few things:

  • ^ and $: These characters mark the beginning and end of the string, ensuring the entire URL is validated.
  • (\/|(\.\.\/)|(\.\/))?: This part checks for the beginning of the relative URL. It allows for a leading / (root), ../ (one level up), or ./ (current directory).
  • ([a-zA-Z0-9\-._~%!{{content}}amp;'()*+,;=:@\/]*): This section validates the rest of the URL, allowing for a wide range of characters commonly used in URLs, including letters, numbers, and special characters.

How Developers Can Use This

Developers can easily integrate this pattern into a text field in the CMS. They could add it to the CMS's settings or use it directly in their code. If they want to get fancy, they could even customize the pattern to fit the specific needs of their website. For example, they might want to allow certain query parameters or restrict the use of special characters. The possibilities are endless!

Making the Right Choice

So, what's the best way forward? It really depends. If we want to keep the CMS as simple as possible, then the custom pattern approach might be better. It gives developers more control and reduces the risk of over-engineering the system. But we also have to consider the user experience. Adding the allow_relative argument could make things easier for developers. If we are going to add this feature, the benefits would have to outweigh the costs. We'd need to consider factors like ease of use, flexibility, and the potential for bugs.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

In the grand scheme of things, the decision to support relative URLs directly or to leave it to developers is all about finding the right balance between ease of use, flexibility, and complexity. The custom pattern approach, while placing more responsibility on developers, offers greater flexibility and keeps the core CMS leaner. However, providing the allow_relative argument could streamline the process for some users. The key is to carefully weigh the pros and cons and choose the solution that best serves the needs of our users and the overall goals of the CMS. It’s a discussion worth having and something we should circle back on as the project evolves.