Updating web content from text file...or other solution?

Hello!

I'm fairly new to all of this so I don't even know if I'm posting in the right forum.....apologies if not. Bascially I'm designing a site for someone and when I'm done they would like to be able to update/add to the content of one page by themself.

What's the best way of going about this without compromising the design of the site itself?

Thanks for your help!

Server side solution php or asp

php would be the best, especially if your not too experienced. ASP is really good if you know what your doing it take a while to learn but your best bet right now is to use php.

Well there are actually at least six ways:
SSI - and using the extension shtml or shtm (server side)
ASP - using the extension asp (server side)
PHP - using the extension php, phtml, phtm (server side)
JavaScript - using the extension html or htm (client side)
Ajax - more information Ajax Includes Script
Frames - Frames Tutorial
They depend on your server and the way it is set up. Including the file is is basically like
SSI

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<!--#include file="includes/nav.html" -->

ASP

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<!--#include file="includes/nav.html" -->

PHP

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<?php include("includes/nav.html"); ?>

JavaScript

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<script src="includes/nav.js"></script>

With the server side the file is parsed on the server before being rendered in the browser. The nav.html would have your code that is your navigation only - for example:

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| <a href="/default.asp">Home</a> | <a href="/about.asp">About</a> | <a href="/contact.asp">Contact</a> |

And that would be it - nothing else is needed since everything else will be pulled from the main page that is calling for the included content.
With the JavaScript, you it would be a bit different, you would save this as nav.js:

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<!--
document.writeln("| <a href=\"/default.asp\">Home</a> | <a href=\"/about.asp\">About</a> | <a href=\"/contact.asp\">Contact</a> |");
//-->

and then call it in the page like this:

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<script src="includes/nav.js"></script>

however, some search engines do not read JavaScript since it is a client side language is (if by chance) the user has JavaScript disabled, then they would not see the JavaScript.
For the type of hyperlinks check out types of hyperlinks - I would recommend using Virtual if you do use the server side includes.
Check with your hosting company to see what server side includes they will support.

I recently had to do this.

I created the main page... bulletins.php or whatever.

I then created a seperate file... data-bulletins.htm that gets included using the PHP include. Using htm extension merely allows it to be opened by more editors without issues.

The person doing the text updates was taught very limited heading, paragraph and list tags and this allows them to populate the file.

All they do is open up the FTP program, edit the data file and save it back.

There are more complicated ways, but I like simplicity and they are very satisfied with this also. I showed them a CMS demo online... HAHAHA.. if they weren't church reps I know they would have said "NO Fin WAY"... but they simply said... "I think we can handle editing the htm".

Ding Ding.. another satisified customer of simplicity by design.