to frame or not to frame

[chris]

it a good idea
to us frames. my left hand on the site will remain the same threw out the
site. but will change once in awhile with added links. what is the best way
to do this without having to go back and change about 100 html pages. I was
thinking about using frames or is there a better way.


Chris

 

[Luigi Donatello Asero]

it a good idea
to us frames. my left hand on the site will remain the same threw out the
site. but will change once in awhile with added links. what is the best way
to do this without having to go back and change about 100 html pages. I was
thinking about using frames or is there a better way.


Chris

Tables and/or css I suppose.
I changed myself from frames to tables and from tables to css.

 

[chris]

If I use tables how do I keep the left the same on all pages with having to
redo a bunch of pages. or do i have to change all the pages.

 

[Luigi Donatello Asero]

Tables and/or css I suppose.
I changed myself from frames to tables and from tables to css.

You can use php include if you use php

<?php include "foo.html"; ?>

But the first time you have to insert it in all the pages!
And you have to save your menu into foo.html

 

[Luigi Donatello Asero]

If I use tables how do I keep the left the same on all pages with having to
redo a bunch of pages. or do i have to change all the pages.

You have to insert your menu into the left column (if the menu is on the
left side).
That implies that you need insert this table in all of your pages...
If you use php you also have to insert it but you just need change the
content of the file which you include, let´s say
foo.html if you want to change the content of the menu afterwards

 

[Mark Parnell]

Deciding to do something for the good of humanity, chris

it a good idea
to us frames.

No it isn't. Well, maybe in 1 or 2 specific situations, but they aren't
found on the www.

my left hand on the site will remain the same threw out the
site.

http://allmyfaqs.net/faq.pl?Include_one_file_in_another

 

[chris]

I am trying to us a table with the menu on the left side. which will be the
same on all pages. I don't know anything about php. what's the best way and
easiest way to do my menu any more help would be appreciated

 

[Els]

I am trying to us a table with the menu on the left side. which will be the
same on all pages. I don't know anything about php. what's the best way and
easiest way to do my menu any more help would be appreciated

Your best bet would be to read the link Mark Parnell gave 28 minutes
ago.

 

[Greg N.]

I am trying to us a table with the menu on the left side. which will be the
same on all pages. I don't know anything about php. what's the best way and
easiest way to do my menu any more help would be appreciated

Sounds like you're saying, "I can use HTML frames or HTML tables, is
there a better way, but I don't want to hear about things outside HTML,
like PHP".

If that's what you want to say, well, then there is no way to solve your
problem other than frames and tables.

 

[Arne]

Sounds like you're saying, "I can use HTML frames or HTML tables, is
there a better way, but I don't want to hear about things outside HTML,
like PHP".

If that's what you want to say, well, then there is no way to solve your
problem other than frames and tables.

Well, there is SSI (server side includes) that may feel like easier way
than PHP for those who don't know anything about server side scripting.
SSI is in a way "pure HTML" with the ability to include files into other
files.

A tutorial for beginners is http://www.bignosebird.com/ssi.shtml

 

[Greg N.]

Well, there is SSI (server side includes) that may feel like easier way
than PHP for those who don't know anything about server side scripting.

For SSI, you need to change the file type from HTML to SHTML, and you
need to use a 1-line include statement.

For PHP, you need to change the file type from HTML to PHP, and you need
to use a 1-line include statement.

Why should one of the two be easier than the other?

 

[JDS]

I am trying to us a table with the menu on the left side. which will be the
same on all pages. I don't know anything about php. what's the best way and
easiest way to do my menu any more help would be appreciated

The "best way" is not necessarily the same as the "easiest way"

The simplest description of what you need to do is:

1) create an HTML template that has your menu on the left and a big blank
space where the content goes

2) include the content pages into the blank space based on server requests

PHP is probably going to be your most recommended solution for this
problem.

Don't know anything about PHP? You are gonna havta learn, then. Don't
want to learn? Well, then, we can't help you.

BTW, you don't have to use PHP. Any server-side HTML preprocessing
language will do. SSI has been mentioned in this thread, and it will do
the trick as well. So will ASP.

If you don't want to deal with server side stuff, there are some
client-side website management tools that will let you do what you need
to. for example, CityDesk:

http://www.fogcreek.com/CityDesk/index.html

 

[Arne]

For SSI, you need to change the file type from HTML to SHTML, and you
need to use a 1-line include statement.

For PHP, you need to change the file type from HTML to PHP, and you need
to use a 1-line include statement.

Why should one of the two be easier than the other?

Just that it may sound more scary with PHP for someone who don't know
anyrhing about that, and if you don't use it to anything else than
includes it may feel like PHP is to overdoing things.

 

[David Dorward]

For SSI, you need to change the file type from HTML to SHTML, and you
need to use a 1-line include statement.

No, you don't.

A common way to tell the server to scan a file for SSI directives is by
giving it a .shtml file extension, but there are other ways.

For PHP, you need to change the file type from HTML to PHP, and you need
to use a 1-line include statement.

Why should one of the two be easier than the other?

Well, PHP will break if you have short tags turned on and use an XML
declaration (... not that Appendix C says that is a good idea).

 

[Jonathan N. Little]

Greg N. wrote:




No, you don't.

A common way to tell the server to scan a file for SSI directives is by
giving it a .shtml file extension, but there are other ways.

What other ways? Any other I can think of requires a servers to be
specifically setup to search for SSI in other documents which is not
default and rarely I have seen because of the increase in server load.
It is a rare hosting company that doesn't require the .shtml extension
for SSI.

 

[JDS]

Well, PHP will break if you have short tags turned on and use an XML
declaration (... not that Appendix C says that is a good idea).

Its still only a one-line include statment, short or long tags:

<?php include("/path/to/file.inc"); ?>

 

[JDS]

What other ways?

Ooh! ooh! I got one. ASP pages will allow for SSI syntax includes by
default. Does that count as another way?

 

[JDS]

What other ways?

Ooh! Ooh! I got another another one. Just because ".shtml" is standard
doesn't mean I couldn't set up my webserver to process ".yoda", ".butt",
or ".includeextrahtmlfilesusingssi" suffixes to process through SSI.

Who still uses SSI anyways?

 

[David Dorward]

What other ways? Any other I can think of requires a servers to be
specifically setup to search for SSI in other documents which is not
default and rarely I have seen because of the increase in server load.

That's one option, another is the x-bit hack.

It is a rare hosting company that doesn't require the .shtml extension
for SSI.

Depends on the type of package you go for. Its nice having full access to
the Apache configuration.

 

[David Dorward]

Its still only a one-line include statment

So? The point was that your page could cause PHP to throw an error since

xml version="1.0"

.... isn't PHP syntax.

Thus - PHP harder; there is another potential problem to deal with.