Nested Categories with Friendly URLs (PHP OOP)

This project demonstrates a PHP application that manages nested categories with friendly URLs. It follows an OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) structure, uses the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, and integrates Bootstrap 5 for styling.

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Features

• Nested Categories: Categories can have unlimited levels of subcategories.
• Friendly URLs: SEO-friendly URLs like /category/electronics/mobile-phones.
• Dynamic Navigation: Navbar dynamically lists top-level categories.
• Bootstrap 5 Integration: Responsive design and modern styling.
• Scalable Structure: Organized project structure with OOP principles.

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Project Structure

nested_ctgs/
├── public/
│   ├── .htaccess        # URL rewriting rules
│   ├── index.php        # Front controller and homepage
│   ├── category.php     # Handles category display
│   └── item.php         # Handles item display
├── src/
│   ├── Config/
│   │   └── Database.php  # Database connection
│   ├── Models/
│   │   └── Category.php  # Category model
│   ├── Controllers/
│   │   └── CategoryController.php  # Handles category logic
│   └── Views/
│       ├── layout.php    # Common HTML layout
│       ├── category.php  # Displays categories and subcategories
│       └── item.php      # Displays items
└── composer.json        # Composer autoloader configuration

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Prerequisites

• PHP 7.4+
• MySQL
• Composer

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Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/nested-categories.git
   cd nested-categories

2. Install dependencies using Composer:

   composer install

3. Import the database schema:

   CREATE TABLE categories (
       id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
       parent_id INT DEFAULT NULL,
       name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
       slug VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL UNIQUE,
       FOREIGN KEY (parent_id) REFERENCES categories(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
   );
   
   INSERT INTO categories (parent_id, name, slug) VALUES
   (NULL, 'Electronics', 'electronics'),
   (NULL, 'Fashion', 'fashion'),
   (1, 'Mobile Phones', 'mobile-phones'),
   (1, 'Laptops', 'laptops'),
   (3, 'Smartphones', 'smartphones'),
   (3, 'Feature Phones', 'feature-phones');

4. Configure your database connection in src/Config/Database.php:

   private static $instance = new PDO(
       "mysql:host=localhost;dbname=mydb", "root", "",
       [
           PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
           PDO::ATTR_DEFAULT_FETCH_MODE => PDO::FETCH_ASSOC,
       ]
   );

5. Set up the web server:

   • Place the public/ folder as the document root.
   • Ensure .htaccess rewriting is enabled for friendly URLs.

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Usage

Homepage

Access the homepage at /index.php. It lists all top-level categories in card format.

Category Pages

Visit /category/<slug> to view subcategories of a specific category. URLs like /category/electronics/mobile-phones display nested subcategories.

Navigation

The navigation bar dynamically lists top-level categories and is accessible from all pages.

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Example .htaccess

RewriteEngine On

# Redirect category URLs
RewriteRule ^category/([^/]+)/?$ category.php?slug=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^category/([^/]+)/([^/]+)/?$ category.php?slug=$2&parent=$1 [L,QSA]

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Built With

• PHP 7.4+: Backend logic
• MySQL: Database management
• Bootstrap 5: Frontend design
• Composer: Autoloading and dependency management

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Future Enhancements

• Search Functionality: Add a search bar to find categories quickly.
• Breadcrumbs: Display hierarchical navigation for categories.
• Pagination: Manage long lists of subcategories or items.
• Admin Panel: Add an admin interface to manage categories dynamically.

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License

This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.