Remove 'component' word from urls for my custom non mvc component in joomla

Question

I wrote a custom non-mvc component (because i don't know how to make mvc component and now it's grown is size so changing it will take more time which is not possible for me) 'com_group' for my client.

Everything is fine but when it comes to sef urls it gives me urls like mysite/component/group/home and in non sef urls like mysite/index.php?option=com_group&view=home but client wants to remove component word from urls.

I also made a router for my component which remove every parameter correctly but it does not remove component. I also made a menu item for it but it didn't helped me.

Here is my router.php

<?php //error_reporting(E_ALL); 
defined ( '_JEXEC' ) or die ();
jimport('joomla.error.profiler');

function GroupBuildRoute(&$query){ 
       $segments = array();
        //$query['Itemid'] = 201;
        if( isset($query['view']) )
       {
                $segments[] = $query['view'];
                unset( $query['view'] );
       };
        if( isset($query['pin']) )
       {
                $segments[] = $query['pin'];
                unset( $query['pin'] );
       };    

       return $segments;
} 


function GroupParseRoute($segments){
       $vars = array();
       $app =& JFactory::getApplication();
       $menu =& $app->getMenu();
       $item =& $menu->getActive();
       $items = $menu->getItems('component', 'com_group');

       if (!isset($query['Itemid']))   
       $query['Itemid'] =  180;//$items->id; 
       // Count segments
       $count = count( $segments );
         //Handle View and Identifier
         switch( $segments['0'] ){
               case 'group_page':
                       $vars['view'] = 'group-pages';
                      break;
               case 'group':
                       $vars['view'] = 'home';
                       break;
               case 'folow':
                       $vars['view'] = 'follow';
                       break;
               case 'start':
                       $vars['view'] = 'start-group';
                       break;
               case 'group_eventplan':
                       $vars['view'] = 'group-event-plan';
                       break;
               case 'group_member':
                       $vars['view'] = 'group-members';
                       break;
               case 'manage_subscription':
                       $vars['view'] = 'manage-subscription';
                       break;
               case 'group_msg':
                       $vars['view'] = 'group-message';
                       break;
               case 'group_invite':
                       $vars['view'] = 'invite-friends';
                       break;
               case 'other_group':
                       $vars['view'] = 'other-groups';
                       break;
               case 'groupinfo':
                       $vars['view'] = 'group-info';
                       break;
               case 'home':
                       $vars['view'] = 'group-home';
                       break;
       }

     if (!isset($item)) {
        $vars['view']   = $segments[0];
        $vars['pin']    = $segments[1];
        return $vars;
     }
     if($count==2){
            $vars['view']   = $vars['view'];
            $vars['pin']    = $segments[1];
            return $vars;
     }

       return $vars;
}

I also want to replace group_msg to group-message also so that new urls should be component/group/group-message/ not component/group/group_msg

I tried Remove component part from sef url, menu item not completely but didn't helped me.

Answer 1

Finally i managed to solve the question by myself. I am mentioning steps taken to help others. (Please write me if you want source code to use it with your project)

Step 1: add a menu item (Joomla Administrator -> Menus ->Menu Manager->Add new Item)

Step 2: The newly added menu item will be provided an id, add this id to all urls of your component like this.

index.php?option=com_your_component_name&Itemid=newly_generated_id

that's it.

Answer 2

The first option I would try is sh404SEF

Good luck!

EDIT

If SEF extensions are not an option for you, perhaps using .htaccess and redirect, something like the following :

RewriteEngine On

Redirect /component/group/home /something-else