using mod_redirect and retaining full URL

[Mike Curwen]

Can I have Apache do something like this?

http://xyz.mydomain.com/foo1/foo2
redirected to:
http://xyz.mydomain.com/xyz/foo1/foo2

Where foo1 and foo2 are dynamic, but xyz is a constant value.

I've seen plenty of examples that redirect a domain to a new domain, or a page to a new page. But nothing that just uses a regex type switcheroo. Am I looking at using mod_rewrite? Which makes me shudder, seeing as how I'm so very good at regex.

[Mike Curwen]

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
# If the requested file or directory don't exist then redirect to the
# index.php and request the file. It will fetch it from the database
# or generate a "not found" message
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d # Was a directory requested?
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f # or a file? If not then redirect
RewriteRule ([^&;]*) /xyz/$1 [L] # xyz/.....
</IfModule>

I think this is what I'm looking for ?

But I only want this to work for the xyz.mydomain.com virtualhost and I also only want to do this if /xyz isn't already in the URL. So the rewrite would happen the first time someone hits the site, but not again, unless they remove the /xyz/ from their address bar.

Anyone with any Apache config experience want to show me the way?
[ May 26, 2003: Message edited by: Mike Curwen ]