The import script saves the import id in a post custom field. You can use it to create permalinks. Several importers do that. You can look at others for examples.
Thanks Jay, I know that, and I use that to go from old ids to new ids.
But it would be more practical to simply use the same number and avoid that de-referencing. I am doing parts of my import with SQL and it complicates queries.
Also, the permalinks table can get quite huge. A regexp redirect is better, and easy if the id is constant.
I had heard about these regexp operations but I was thinking they required post ids to match so a simple find-and-replace could take me from the old post id to the new one.
Or is the mechanism more intelligent and it does a lookup on the post custom field to translate ids?
Yes. You still need to have the post (or topic or category) ID in a permalink.
Your solution might work with a plugin that you would have to continually maintain, but it’ll be really hard, and the recommended way works and has been used dozens of times, including several with millions of posts, and that’s just me.
The approach (without keeping a plug in all the time) could be:
Disable automatic serial numbers for topics
Import everything with the old ids
Re-enable serials, starting at a number larger than the MAX currently used
But ok, I get the point - it’s easier with the permalinks feature. I have found many posts with specific questions about this, mostly people trying to get their regexps right, but I haven’t found any page documenting the actual mechanism in general… is there such a page?
Can anybody point to any Documentation on how to use the permalinks feature? Even if it’s minimal docs. I don’t mind helping to write a more extended documentation once I understand how this works. Thanks.
