php files rendered as htm files........why??????

[osgood_]

Does anyone have any sensible explanation/suggestion as to why some developer would create php files then get the server to render them in the browser with a completely different name/format and the .htm extension?

Example: holiday_destinations.php gets shown in the browser as HolidayDestinations.htm

One would assume a sensible developer might well be looking for 'HolidayDestinations.htm' on the server to make changes to the file, but it's not there, along with many other re-named files, lol. 

Apart from wanting to put themsleves in the loony asylum, or anyone else for that matter trying to work out what is going on, is there a sensible reason?

[Jon Fritz]

A well-meaning, but ultimately misguided, sense of "make it pretty for visitors" would be my only guess.

[osgood_]

But it's not 'pretty' that would most likely be without the .php or .htm extension. Just seems completely smoke and mirrors to me, in some kind of warped effort to be as confusing as possible, for anyone else who would dare to consider managing the files. Of course the developer who did this has now retired I'm informed, leaving a bag of pus behind on the clients doorstep, for someone to try and clean up.........good luck with that. This is the problem these days, poor useless developers who either use a complex workflow for something really simple or just don't know what they are doing through lack of knowledge. It's freaking difficult to tell given the myriad of crap workflows introduced over the last decade or so.

Anyway thanks for confirming you think it's totally misguided too.

[BenPleysier]

I am with @Jon Fritz  on this.

@osgood_ , is this a method to keep this Community lively by reporting someone else's quirkiness?

[osgood_]

I am with @Jon Fritz  on this.

@osgood_ , is this a method to keep this Community lively by reporting someone else's quirkiness?

By @BenPleysier

No not really, l cant help myself when something which should be so simple is made so complex, it helps no-one in my opinion, neither the client or anyone whose task with updating files once the original developer has gone awol. Developers have a responsibility to clean up after them, sadly the majority only think short term.

[Nancy OShea]

I'm guessing they read some "beautify advice" on the Internet that told them to rewrite URLs.

[osgood_]

I'm guessing they read some "beautify advice" on the Internet that told them to rewrite URLs.

By @Nancy OShea

If only they where pretty urls.............changing .php to .htm really solves nothing if that was the ultimate goal.