Javascript - Updating web pages with snippets from other pages

[Ydot]

Hey Guys,

I am currently building a web page for a client and I am looking to have small snippets in the website where the latest forum topics and latest reports (from the forum and reports sections) can be displayed in small sections on the home page.

So I basiaclly want a script that will fetch the top 5 topics or articles and display them on the home page.

I have been informed Javascript is probably the best way to get this done?

Anyone any free scripts which might be helpful in this? Any help would be much appreciated.

[pa007]

You'd be better doing this with php, I think. If all your articles and reports are in a database then it would be simple enough to pull out a title and summary from said DB and pop it on your home page. I say simple, I would imagine it would be a damn sight easier than any JS solutions.

Pete.

[Ydot]

Yeh I thought it would be a php job but limited php experience makes me slightly hesitent!

Problem being none of the articles will be in a database but if thats the only way will have to databse them all?

Any links to free scripts that might help?

[1840dsgn]

Just do a Google search on 'Displaying data from a database PHP' you should get some good tutorials.

If you can put them in a database this is a really quick and easy way to do it (MySQL DB). I didn't have a clue about PHP but have done a few tutorials and have built my own CMS and my own Blog Engine (see the link in my Sig). This displays the top 5 posts from the database on the homepage so similar to what you want. the code isn't difficult once you get your head round it and it really is SO useful!

MySQL and PHP together are a POWERFUL tool to have as a web developer.