# URL

The URL utility provides a collection of helper functions to assist developers in building routes and performing redirects.

### Route

Returns the current request's route. From the url `https://domain.com/route/to/page?q=search+query`, returns `/route/to/page`

```php
url::route()
```

### Parse QueryString

Returns the query string of the current request. From the url `https://domain.com/route/to/page?q=search+query` returns `?q=search+query`.

```php
url::queryString()
```

### File Type

Returns the file extension from a URL or null if not extension is found.

```php
url::getFileType()
```

### URI

Returns the decoded URI of the current request.

### Route Parts

Explodes the a request's route by '/' and returns the resulting parts.

```php
url::parts('http://domain.com/articles/title-of-article/1')
​
// Returns
array (
    'articles,
    'title-of-article',
    '1'
)
```

### Host

Returns the current request's host.

```php
url::host()
```

### Protocol

Returns the current request's protocol. Expected return values are `http://` or `https://`.

```php
url::protocol()
```

### HTTP Method

Returns the HTTP method used in the current request. Valid return values include `get`, `post`, `put`, `patch`, `delete`.

```php
url::method()
```

### Make URL From Route

A route should only be hard-coded in once place: the module config. From there, it should never be directly referenced again. The `make()` method is used to build URLs by referencing the name of the route, instead of the route's actual path. This allows developers to change routes without breaking links throughout the application.

Consider the following route definitions:

```php
array(
    new saRoute(array(
        'id'            => 'members_users_list',
        'name'          => 'Our Users',
        'route'         => '/users/list',
        'controller'    => 'UsersController@index',
        'method'        => 'GET'
    )),
    new saRoute(array(
        'id'            => 'members_account',
        'name'          => 'Account',
        'route'         => '^/users/[0-9]{1,}$',
        'controller'    => 'UsersController@account',
        'method'        => 'GET'
    )),
    new saRoute(array(
            'id'            => 'members_user_invoice',
            'name'          => 'Invoice',
            'route'         => '^/users/[0-9]{1,}/invoice/[0-9]{1,}$',
            'controller'    => 'UsersController@account',
            'method'        => 'GET'
        ))
);
```

The `members_users_list` route doesn't have any dynamic parameters. The `members_account` route has 1 dynamic parameter (a user Id).

```php
// Returns "/users/list"
url::make('members_users_list');
​
// Returns "/users/12"
$userId = 12;
url::make('members_account', $userId);
​
// Returns "/users/12/invoice/1111111"
$userId = 12;
$invoiceId = 1111111;
url::make('members_user_invoice', $userId, $invoiceId);
```

> The `url::make()` method's first parameter is the name of the route. The number of subsequent parameters will always match the number of dynamic parameters in the route.
>
> e.g To build a route with 4 dynamic parameters, `the make()` method will require 4 additional parameters after the route name.

### Redirect

To force a page redirect in any part of the application, use the `redirect()` method.

> This method is meant for redirecting to third-party URLs. To redirect to an application route, use `redirectId()`.

```php
url::redirect('http://domain.com', 'q=search+keywords', 302)
```

| Parameter       | Type   | Required | Description                                     |
| --------------- | ------ | -------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `$url`          | string | yes      | The URL to redirect to.                         |
| `$queryString`  | string | no       | The URL's query string.                         |
| `$redirectCode` | int    | no       | Default: `302`. The redirect type (301 or 302). |

### Redirect to Route

Redirects to a named route in the application.

```php
// Redirects to member account page. Route requires 1 parameter: user ID.
// Resulting URL: "/users/1".
url::redirectId('members_account', 1)
```

### isCurrentRoute

Compares the route of the current request's with a given route.

```php
// Compares "/users/1" with current route
url::isCurrentRoute('members_account', 1)
```

### Find route by ID

See the [routing](https://docs.siteadministrator.com/developer-guide/the-basics/routing) documentation.