Updating numerous pages at the same time.

Okay I am using dreamweaver. Spare the "shouldn't be using a program and should write coding yourself" for now. I am asking if it is possible to make my website into a template with editable regions therefore the whole page is the same for every page onthe website apart from the main content part. So when I edit the navigation area (part of the template which stays the same for all pages) on one of the pages the same applies to the rest of th webpage on the website. Making editing the links and general page design easier without changing the content or updating it on every signle page.

Oh and I don't want to use frames.

use server side includes, thats your best bet

Poppycock!
(hadda come back and edit so I could finally use that word. heheh)


Hi Mikka23,
The good news is that the solution has nothing whatever to do with server side includes.


1)
Dreamweaver has a facility to create webpages and turn them into templates. I have not used this function, so I don't know how this works or eventually manifests, but it may be worth looking into.


2)
However, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is your answer, and exactly the purpose for which CSS was developed. CSS and CSS2 are currently in service, CCS3 is on the cards but is behind in development and probably won't be around for another 3 or 4 years.

Basically your content is divided into areas of html on your page in a similar fashion to how Dreamweaver does it.
These areas then have their position and format controlled by another language (CSS), the code for which can be included in the same page or a separate file.

The latter option is best for your purposes as the former will only change the page to which it's included.

A brief explanantion; Your web pages all link to a separate 'control' file which gives each page of the site instructions for font, size, colour, display, position, and which images to show where and under what circumstances.

These can be over-ridden in individual pages where unique circumstances may apply.
Thus, by changing the controlling CSS file, this 'cascades' through the entire website simultaneously.

I know you don't want to hear it, but you will HAVE to learn something about hand-coding to cope with the basics of CSS. You will have to learn a lot more to be able to use its' bells & whistles. I sympathise because I'm just starting out with it myself. 3 months ago I was in the position of wondering if it was all worth the extra effort. If it's any help I can tell you that 'yes', it is.

Start HERE then go HERE. Knock twice and tell them, 'Skwirrell' sent you.

I will look into that, thanks for the reply. I know a reasonable amount of css, just not really in which circumstances to apply each thing. I wil finish coding the site with tables then think about a possibly re-launch in css and xhtml.

Hmmm my reply wasn't taken, for some reason.

Anyway that first link will also get you to a xhtml guide.

Hi Skwirrell,
Have to disagree. The solution has everything, in part anyway, to do with server sides includes.

Hi mikka23,
To do what you want properly and efficiently, you will need to put your header code in a file, typically called header.inc, your navigation in a file - navigation.inc, and so on.

Your template page then contains instructions to pull in all these files. CSS is used to place each files content in its proper place. All you add to each use of the template is the content for that page.

Global changes to the navigation, header, etc., requires changes to one file, well and maybe your css file, and the effect is seen site wide.

A while back I put together a template system with complete instructions as to what goes where and why.

You can download a copy here:
http://1ontheweb.net/downloads/Templates.zip

Hi.

Thank you for the information. At the moment I think I will leave it until the site is complete and up and running.

I'm sure you may know this already Mikka, but css is used to tell the browser how to display items not what is included in the items. That being said I have to disagree with RedSwirrell. You could add classes or divs to your stylesheet but would still have to edit each page if you wanted to add a link to your navigation. As for dreamweaver templates, I'm not exactly sure because I have never used them. Server side includes are very easy, use em and you'll love em! They are available in a variety of formats. I use PHP.

i would recommend looking into javascript, have a include code in place of each navbar and then have a navbar.js and within it the code for your navbar, so that you could change all of them at once.

__________________
www.MonsterCoding.com - Website Programming and Development Services

I made a template usin dreamweaver. It is very easy and works perfectly. All I did was open my completely coded page make into template then highlight the main table for changing content and make editable region. Then go into coding mode and highlight keywords, title and discription and make into editable regions. Then you just make pages from template and add the content into the editable areas. Then if you change anything on the template file it updates throughout the site. Works a treat.

Dreamweaver allows you to set editable regions or some such. This is what they want. Search the help files.

__________________

yeah that what im using

Use server side includes. They are so easy. Look at this code...

HTML: Select all

<html>
<head>
<title>Test</title>
</head>
<body>
<!--#include virtual="navbar.inc" -->
</body>
</html>

And then the "navbar.inc" code looks like this...

Code: Select all

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.webforumz.com" title="Web Design Forums">WebForumz</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.yourdomain.com/chocolate.html" title="Chocolate" target="_self">The "Chocolate" section of my page</a></li>
</ul>

You can go in and change the info or whatever. What this will do is insert "navbar.inc" into the place where you put the "#include virtual" command. The benefit is, of course, that you can edit one file while changing many web pages that have the include virtual command in them.

This is a tutorial... http://www.freewebmasterhelp.com/tutorials/ssi/1

Read that tutorial; It will answer most questions you may have.

Let me know if this helped! Happy New Year!