Via Zeldman, the second article from A List Apart for today: Slash Forward (Some URLs are better than others). This is one of the most concise articles I've seen about the issue. I've written about URL design before, and some of the articles I linked to there are still worth reading. This article's main points are:
1. Use trailing slashes for directories:
It's less work for the server, so your pages will load faster, and besides, it's the correct way to do it.
2. Don't use extensions after your file names:
If you ever change technologies, your URLs may have to change (from .html, .shtml, .php, .asp, .cfm, .jsp, etc.) and that will break your links. It's better to have a directory for every file. It's a little more of a pain to administer, but it's worth it for the permanence.
I didn't obey the second rule when I created my website, but I'm slowly transitioning my pages. Always remember, URL design is very much an aspect of interface design.
Friday, February 22, 2002
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