For those who want a dynamic site, I'll show you how to do it in PHP, ASP, Cold Fusion or Java. Check with your host to see which of these is available.

The really nice thing about using Header and Footer Include Files is when you change the include files, it changes every page on your site:

For PHP:
Start by changing index.htm to index.php. Then use this code:
<?php
include 'includes/header.php';
?>
add all of your body text, tables, pictures, etc. here (just regular html. cut and paste from your old page if you like)
<?php
include 'includes/footer.php';
?>

Next, create header.php and footer.php and place them in a folder called "includes". In the header file, add your page title and navigational links. In the footer file, add your copyright notice.

To create new pages keep using the above code.
When you want to update links in the header or the copyright date in the footer, all you have to do is change one file, not the whole site.

For ASP:
Same as above but each page with includes should start with:


joined:Sept 28, 2001
posts:349
msg #:3 10:01 pm on Apr 17, 2003 (utc 0)
And in ASP...
<%@ Language=VBScript %>
<% Option Explicit %>

Then use this code for the includes:
<!-- #include virtual="/Includes/header.asp" -->
add your content here
<!-- #include virtual="/Includes/footer.asp" -->

For JSP
Use this code for the includes:
<%@ include file="header.jsp" %>
content goes here
<%@ include file="footer.jsp" %>

For Cold Fusion
Use this code for the includes:
<CFINCLUDE TEMPLATE = "../includes/header.htm">
body here
<CFINCLUDE TEMPLATE = "../includes/footer.htm">

After you get used to doing this you can include files that run programs on the server and then output information. For example, you might want to output random links from your forum, so you create a program that randomly selects from a list of forum posts and then outputs the html to the include. Switching your site to .php extensions (or .jsp or .cfm or .asp) and starting to use headers and footers is the first step into the wonderful world of building dynamic websites!

Hi,
I've got a question concerning dynamic sites.
Personally I use SSI.

But I don't use - since I don't know how else - the way I would like to.
If I've got an index file (page1.shtm), I include the header, the menu, the mainwindow and the footer, the logo and whatever else needs to be included. So this makes the site dynamic.

But the thing I don't like is, that if I would like to change just the menu, I need a new site (page2.shtm if you like to), where I change the include for the menu.

Is there a way so I don't need to create page2.shtm and just change the include reference to the new menu?

Is there another language I can do this?

Thanks for your help.
Mfg,
c2k

A lot of people can learn from this thread and save a lot of their time and effort.

Thanks dvduval for taking time to post that. People like dvduval make WT a success. Right David ?

When I figured out how to do it in PHP, I was really excited because it gave me so much control over my site. Because I had sites on windows servers, I also had to learn in ASP and then Cold Fusion. I've never tried the JSP version, but I assume it works.

If you have never done this, do yourself a favoer: Learn!
I will be the start of a great journey into the power of Server-side Scripting languages.

Thanks for your replies.

Sorry, I don't know about shtml, but hopefully someone else will answer your question.

Sorry, I don't know about shtml, but hopefully someone else will answer your question.

It is the same syntax as i.e. PHP.
I don't know how to change the <include> tag. Therefore I need to create for each site an shtm page.

Do you have to do the same in PHP? Is the <?PHP include...> static or can you change it? Do you need to create a HTML/ PHP file for every site displaying or is it enough just to have index.php and then change the <?include tags>, so you don't have to create a php page for each site being displayed on screen?

What do you mean by "site"?
Do you mean a webpage?
Are we only dealing with one domain name here?

the include tag in php can dynamicly use verible or arrrays to include pages for example you can store the page names in a array and select them from your address bar ie. index.php?page=contact would include the contact page see the code below

PHP Code:


<?php

// build array of pages

$page["index"]    = "pages/index.php";

$page["home"]    = "pages/home.php";
$page["contact"] = "pages/contact.php";
$page["about"]   = "pages/aboutus.php";

// end array

// load header of the page
include ("header.php");

//check and see if $_GET["page"] is not empty

if (empty($_GET["page"]))
{
        // load default page
        include ($page["default"]);
}
elseif (empty($page[$_GET["page"]))
{
        // page isnt in array so display a error
        echo "no such page found";
}
else
{
        //load page from url
        include ($page[$_GET["page"]]);
}

include ("footer.php");
?>

That's cool.
I think I need to learn some PHP ;D

Thanks!

Pretty Cool David! Thanks