The .htaccess file is a configuration file for Apache that controls access to a directory tree on the website. Some points to consider:

• Apache can be configured to ignore .htaccess files
• Apache can be configured to limit what a .htaccess file can specify
• .htaccess files apply to the directory they are in and every subdirectory (unless overridden by another .htaccess file)

Complete discussion of the options available to .htaccess files is beyond the scope of this document. Here we will focus only on some of the more common uses. For an in-depth look at all the options, please see Apache.org^*.

• Redirect - sending the browser elsewhere
  MULTIPLE allowed
  Format is: Redirect <old> <new>
  Example: Redirect fish.html fish/index.html
  Example: Redirect birds.html http://birds.org/
• ErrorDocument - what to say when an error occurs
  MULTIPLE allowed
  Format is: ErrorDocument <error code> <output>
  Example: ErrorDocument 404 /error/404.html
  Example: errorDocument 500 "PANIC: does not compute
• DirectoryIndex - what page is displayed by default
  ONE allowed
  Format is: DirectoryIndex <index name> <index name>
  Example: DirectoryIndex index.htm index.html
  Example: DirectoryIndex index.php index.shtml index.html
• FancyIndex - generate "pretty" directory listings
  ONE allowed
  Format is: FancyIndex <on> <off>
  Example: FancyIndex on
• ReadmeName - important information location
  ONE allowed
  Format is: ReadmeName <file name>
  Example: ReadmeName readme
  Notes: if a file named readme and a file named readme.html exist, the readme.html will come before readme in the directory listing
• HeaderName - directory listing header contents
  ONE allowed
  Format is: HeaderName <file name>
  Example: HeaderName header
  Notes: can contain text/HTML. May even contain and IMG link
• AddDescription - define a desciption for directory listing
  MULTIPLE allowed
  Format is: AddDescription "<desc. string>" <filename/extension/path>
  Example: AddDescription "ISO image for creating CD-ROMS" .iso
• IndexIgnore - files to not display in directory listings
  ONE allowed
  Format is: IndexIgnore <pattern1> <pattern2>
  Example: IndexIgnore *.jpg tmp.html
• Options - control what can and can't be done in this dir
  ??? allowed
  Format: Options <+/-><option>
  Example: Options +ExecCGI -Includes +Indexes
  Notes: A '+' is used to ALLOW the directive, while '-' will DENY the directive. Also, if the '+/-' is left out, a '+' is ASSUMED

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