🌐 URL Shortener

A modern and scalable URL shortener application built with PHP and MySQL. This web app lets you shorten long URLs into compact, custom short codes and retrieve the original links seamlessly. Perfect for both personal use and production-scale deployment!

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🚀 Features

• ✂️ Shorten Long URLs
  Convert lengthy URLs into concise, easy-to-share short codes.
• 🎨 Custom Short Codes
  Personalize your short codes for brand recognition.
• 🔗 Seamless Redirection
  Automatically redirect users from short codes to original URLs.
• 🔍 Duplicate Detection
  Checks if a URL has already been shortened.

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📋 Prerequisites

• 🖥️ PHP (>= 7.0)
• 🗄️ MySQL or MariaDB
• 🌐 Web Server (e.g., Apache)
• 📦 Composer (for dependency management)

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⚙️ Installation

1️⃣ Clone the Repository

git https://github.com/SupratimRK/url_shortener.git 
cd url-shortener  

2️⃣ Set Up the Database

1. Create the database:

CREATE DATABASE url_shortener;  

2. Create the table:

USE url_shortener;  

CREATE TABLE urls (  
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,  
    original_url VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,  
    short_code VARCHAR(10) NOT NULL UNIQUE  
);  

3. (Optional) Insert sample data:

INSERT INTO urls (original_url, short_code) VALUES  
('https://www.example.com', 'exmpl'),  
('https://www.anotherexample.com', 'anothr');  

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3️⃣ Configure the Application

1. Create a config.php file in the root directory:

<?php  
// MySQL connection parameters  
$servername = "yourhost";  
$username = "yourusername";  
$password = "yourpassword";  
$database = "url_shortener";  

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $database);  

if ($conn->connect_error) {  
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);  
}  
?>  

2. Include config.php in index.php:

<?php  
include 'config.php';  
// ... rest of the code  
?>  

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4️⃣ Set Up the Web Server

1. Apache Configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>  
    ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost  
    DocumentRoot "path_to_your_project_directory"  
    ServerName url-shortener.local  

    <Directory "path_to_your_project_directory">  
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks  
        AllowOverride All  
        Require all granted  
    </Directory>  

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log  
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined  
</VirtualHost>  

2. Update Hosts File:

127.0.0.1 url-shortener.local  

3. Restart Apache:

sudo service apache2 restart  

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5️⃣ Access the Application

🌐 Open your browser and visit: http://url-shortener.local

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🎉 Usage

1. Shorten a URL:

   • Enter your URL in the input field.
   • (Optional) Add a custom short code.
   • Hit the "Shorten" button.

2. Retrieve the Original URL:

   • Access the short code in your browser (e.g., http://url-shortener.local?x=shortcode).
   • The app redirects to the original URL if the code exists.

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📸 Screenshot of the App

Here is a screenshot of the URL shortener in action:

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📜 License

🔓 This project is licensed under the MIT License. Check the LICENSE file for details.

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Whether it's bug fixes, feature enhancements, or new ideas, feel free to:

• 🛠️ Submit a Pull Request
• 🐛 Open an Issue

Let’s make this project even better together!

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📧 Contact

For inquiries, feedback, or support, reach out to [email protected].

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💡 Demo the Application Now:

• 🌍 Production: N/A
• ⚙️ Development: xrl.rf.gd

Visit and explore the app live: xrl.rf.gd

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⭐ Don’t forget to give a star on GitHub if you like it!
Let me know your thoughts, and feel free to fork the repo for your custom needs! 😊