Custom, database-driven 404 page -- can this be improved?

[eluser]Colin Williams[/eluser]

For example, I have a portfolio controller with two functions: the index and item. If someone requests the URI /portfolio/something-else/ or requests /portfolio/item/item-that-does-not-exist, then I would have to redirect to /page/index/404, which would then change the URL in the browser. Or, I’d have to copy that page controller code into every new controller

Hrm.. I'd make the 404 stuff a library, then. Even though it performs something very similar to $page->index(), your other controllers are still handling the request and serving the 404, just via your library.