This web application was built in PHP and MySQL, which is essentially designed to be a stand-alone application to easily share and send URLs. Typically, website links tend to get long and cumbersome, which makes it difficult to send/post on services with character limitations, applications that wrap and break long URLs to the next line (ie, Outlook), or share verbally. Much like a TinyURL service, this web application allows you to host your own version of a URL redirector with your own domain.

In version of 1.1.0, offered are the basic essentials of easily redirecting a short, friendly URL to a separate external URL.

For instance, I could redirect http://mydomain.com/external/panda to http://www.cnn.com/main/articles/2009/03/16/an-article-about-pandas/395081/#top. So, the short URL could be pasted in emails, posted on twitter, or sent out in your site's text version newsletter.

Version 1.1.0 also includes features such as:

• Easy installation
• Easy configuration
• An access log showing 404 errors so they can be corrected

In upcoming versions, more features will be added, which may include:

• An option for a redirect notice page for users
• The ability to host 301tool on a stand-alone domain like your own TinyURL service
• An option for a simplified interface for public users to add redirects (like with a TinyURL service)
• Minor interface enhancements
• An option for auto-generated friendly URLs, rather than manual entry
• ...and various other tweaks, additions, and updates

Downloads of 301tool 1.1.0 will be made available under a Creative Commons license, which will be freely available for non-commercial purposes.

~ Adam Deutschmann, May 2009