Effects of modifying .htaccess file

[apricotslice]

I'm considering a program for my site, and getting a quote on some modifications.

One of these is to run the same program from multiple subdomains, retaining the domain name after redirection.

I'm being told the way to do this is to modify .htaccess to have the line "DirectoryIndex home.php" added.

Now this is ringing alarm bells for me, and I'm not sure why.

Whats the effect of adding that line into this file ? Especially on the exiting site and existing subdomain that have nothing to do with the reason for the modification.

I'm being told that new subdomains cannot have any subdirectories, and this is whats ringing the alarm bells.

[Karen Mac]

Re: Effects of modifying .htaccess file

Well your subdomain is a sub directory, you can put folders within the subdomain tho. Without know what you are doing and the program and what it needs its difficult to say. You can easily alter your htaccess file with notepad and load it back up, and if something doesnt work right you delete it and put the old one back up. Its not difficult and the results arent permanent .. its just a way of directing how certain progams load etc. and where.

Karen

[apricotslice]

Re: Effects of modifying .htaccess file

More details then.

The program in question is a shopping Mall. Basically a shopping cart system that multiple people can use with their own unique payment and other options.

In getting this idea going, the group I was discussing it with could not agree on a domain name, so I thought of asking for the ability to have as many as wanted.

The idea is that the domain name used in the browser will determine the logo and Titling in the Mall that is seen.

My concern is in how the redirecting is done. And the fact that the person doing the quoting is not communicating with me well enough for me to be totally sure about what he is saying, and I have the horrible feeling he is making assumptions that will come as a shock to me if its done this way. So I'm trying to find out what he is not telling me.

I already have a domain and a subdomain, neither of which have any part in the new mall plans.

Yet the .htaccess file is at the top of the site tree, and feels to me like any general change like the command they want to place, will ahve all sorts of unanticipated effects.

Thats why I'm after an idea of what adding that command actually does.

For example, if after adding that line, my primary and existing subdomain suddenly run the home.php file it refer to instead of their existing index.html's, then this is a very unwelcome thing to be happening. If subdomains can thereafter not have a blog or forum added to them because the mall gets run instead automatically, then this also is undesirable.

Can you see what I'm getting at ? The behaviour of that command once its inserted is very important, but I dont understand what it does. Hence the question.

Edit : I've only found one .htaccess file. Is this a one of file for the entire site, or can they be put into each subdomain ?