404 File not found error when running CodeIgniter on local Apache web server and virtual hosts

[hwiesmann]

I am running locally an Apache web server and use virtual hosts (example name: CodeIgniter4.test). The document root is set to /CodeIgniter4/public. The base URL in App.php is therefore set to:

http://localhost/CodeIgniter4/public/

A controller "Standard" is defined and in Routes.php the following default settings exist:
$routes->setDefaultController('Standard'); $routes->setDefaultMethod('index');
There are no route definitions!

Trying to call http://localhost/CodeIgniter4.test in a browser leads to 404 File not found error which is not correct.

The reason for the error can be found in the validateRequest method of class Router: the parameter $segments contains in this case two string elements of size zero (empty strings). The reason is that autoRoute is called with the URI '/'.
Line 578 of Router.php reads:
if ( ! file_exists(APPPATH . 'Controllers/' . $test . '.php') && $directory_override === false && is_dir(APPPATH . 'Controllers/' . $this->directory . ucfirst($segments[0]))
where $directory_override is false and $this->directory and $test are initially empty.

This means that for the first test is_dir(APPPATH . 'Controllers/' . $this->directory . ucfirst($segments[0]) is true and the directory is set to '/'.
Unfortunately, it seems to be that the same test is also true when $this->directory has the value '/'. In this case the parameter of is_dir is something like APPPATH.'Controllers//' and still is_dir returns true (I am using PHP 7.1.19).

So, finally $this->directory contains '//', which is of course not correct. This means that the controller's name is "App\Controllers\\Standard". And a file relating to this controller does not exist and hence the 404 File not found exception is thrown.

PS: I am using CodeIgniter 4 version Alpha2, PHP 7.1.19.

[jim-parry]

If codeigniter.test is a virtual host mapped to htdocs/CodeIgniter4.public, then the base URL for that will be http://codeigniter.test, and the same would be used in your browser! You are not using the virtual hosting correctly. Your description is looking for application/Controllers/CodeIgniter4.test/Standard, naturally leading to a 404.
Virtual hosting uses a virtual host name defined in /etc/hosts (wherever that is on your platform), and with a element inside apache's conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

[hwiesmann]

Hi Jim-Parry,

sorry, that was a typo. I meant http://codeigniter.test.

The bug occurs whenever $uri starts and/or ends with a '/'.

[jim-parry]

Ok - so your virtual hosting is setup properly, and with application/Config settings

$baseURL = "http://codeigniter.test/"

and with application/Config/Routes settings

$routes->setDefaultNamespace('App\Controllers');
$routes->setDefaultController('Standard');

and your Standard controller is in the right namespace,
and 'http://codeigniter.test' gives a 404?
Do the Apache access_log or error_log shed any light on things?
Do you see an URL anywhere with "//"?

The setDirectory method you mention adds a trailing slash to the original one with any trailing slash removed, i.e. it ensures that there is a single trailing slash at the end of the directory name containing the controller . This sounds to me like it is specifically trying to avoid the situation you describe.

You mention $uri, which is used in several of the methods inside Router, but not setDirectory?

[jim-parry]

Oops - I see you have opened a different problem report :-/