Operation of a Composite Component in a SEF Mode

Composite components have an embedded SEF generation function. These components always come with the input parameter SEF_MODE which may admit the values Y and N. If the SEF_MODE parameter is equal to N, the component works with physical links and transfers all parameters through the standard parameters of an HTTP request. For example:

If the parameter SEF_MODE is equal to Y, the component generates and processes links based on templates. For example, the component can “understand” and process the link:

If the parameter SEF_MODE is equal to Y, the component must also have the parameter SEF_FOLDER, containing a path to the folder necessary for the component. This path may or may not coincide with the physical path. For example, in the component bitrix:catalog, connected to the file /fld/cat.php, the parameters SEF_MODE = Y and SEF_FOLDER=/catalog/ can be set up. In this case, the component will respond to queries following the path /catalog/....

A composite component that can work in an SEF mode must have a set of default path templates. For example, in a composite component bitrix:catalog the following array must be defined:

$arDefaultUrlTemplatesSEF = array( 
      "list" => "index.php", 
      "section" => "section.php?IBLOCK_ID=#IBLOCK_ID#&SECTION_ID=#SECTION_ID#",
      "element" => "element.php?ELEMENT_ID=#ELEMENT_ID#" 
  );

These path templates can be redefined using the input parameters of the composite component SEF_URL_TEMPLATES, containing a new array of all the path templates or a part of them.

When saving a page with a component working in an SEF mode, the editor creates or updates the entry in the urlrewrite system. E.g., when saving the file /fld/cat.php containing the component bitrix:catalog switched in the SEF mode with the parameter SEF_FOLDER=/catalog/, the urlrewrite system creates or update the following entry:

array( 
 "CONDITION" => "#^/catalog/#", 
 "ID" => "bitrix:catalog", 
 "PATH" => "/fld/cat.php" 
  ),

• A value of the SEF_FOLDER parameter is written in  CONDITION between the symbols «#^» and «#»;
• The name of the component is written in ID;
• A physical path to the saved file is written in PATH.

If an entry with such PATH and ID already exists, it is updated; if not, it is added.

In run-time when a physically inexistent page is requested, the urlrewrite mechanism searches for the relevant entry by CONDITION and transfers control to the page PATH.

The component on the PATH page figures out the requested page and recovers variables hidden in the path.

"section" => "section/#SECTION_ID#.php?IBLOCK_ID=#IBLOCK_ID#", 
"element" => "element/#ELEMENT_ID#.php"

"section" => "#SECTION_ID#.php?IBLOCK_ID=#IBLOCK_ID#", 
"element" => "#ELEMENT_ID#.php"

List of links on the subject:

• HTTP POST request