Should i use Div, Iframe or PHP for links and subpages..?

[gentleone]

Okay... Now I'm getting confused as well, because I'm starting to ask myself now if you do understand the fundamental basics of how web pages interact with a web browser???

In the simplest form:
Make a copy of your index.html and call it the-sites.html. Insert the content (text/images) you want on 'the sites' page and save again. Now you have two pages.
Make from the navigation link you have for 'the sites' this:

<a href="#"

to this:

<a href="the-sites.html"

on every page of course and now if you click on that link it will open the-sites.html in the browser. Do the same for all your pages and this is how the web works from its beginning.

[PtcThatPays]

Yes i know that one way of doing it but that would replace the whole site.

I just want a specifik area to be changed

As you can see i have 4 boxes where i will have different stuff and links and a contentarea where i want it all to show.

I would like that only the content area changed.

If i do it like you say there i would have to change all my subpages everytime i change a link on my index and that would be alot of work really. My plan is to have alot of subpages that dont need ediditing ones they are done.

Am i making any sence here..? Remember in Danish

[gentleone]

Okay... I see now. The solution you have in your mind is not the solution to solve your problem/issue.
Like Ricky55 already mentioned in this thread is to use PHP includes for sections of your page that stays the same on all of them. You have to change the extension of all your pages to .php tho. so index.php, the-sites.php, etc.

Then make a new PHP document... insert only the HTML code of your navigation.
Save it as nav.php

On every page where you want your nav to appear, you use a PHP include to insert it.

PHP Code:

<?php include("nav.php"); ?>

You can do the same for your header, footer. These are common sections that are the same on every page.

[PtcThatPays]

Looks like i have to study some PHP over the christmas then

And i have been thinking alot about copying the index ans you mentioned. It might not be a bad solution for me untill i learn more really.

Actually i had accepted that that would have to be the solution but im still going for the PHP in the long run. And maybe some AJAX. Im willing to study hard aslong as i just study the right thing really.

Once again thanks for all your help.

[Ricky55]

Just forget Ajax for the time being. Ajax is a advanced topic and not something you need to even know about at this stage.

I think this whole thing of opening links into a container as thrown you off course.

For now just get your pages coded in HTML and CSS and just link the pages together using good old fashioned links. Once you get to this stage come back and I or gentle will help you to get this set up using php includes to make the site easy to edit and maintain.

Using includes is the perfect solution to this so don't think this is not a good solution.

I'm teaching web design to a guy at the moment and I always say to him you must learn HTML and CSS and understand how web pages work before moving on to more advanced topics.

By the way to use php includes you don't have to learn php at all just a couple of basic rules.

Cheers

[PtcThatPays]

That sounds good Ricky. Maybe i am getting carried away here but i just want to learn everything

I thought i had the HTML and CSS done but will do it again.

So just to make things clear your with Gentle here about copying the index and then change the name to whatever i need..?

I will have to change the links on all pages a few times a month or maybe more but thats okay. It gives me a site i can show atleast while i learn a better and more correct way maybe.

Thanks for your imput also

[domedia]

I just read this whole thread, very interesting. I think it shows how important it is to have an understanding of the underlying techs of a webpage before advancing to more 'advanced' topics.

PtcThatPays, I feel your pain, but basically you should forget, asap, what you knew about web page building 10 years ago (opening in the middle, etc.). Some would even say it was outdated back then!

.

[PtcThatPays]

First of all thanks for taking the time to read it all..

And i know.. Its just soo hard to forget what i once knew.

But i have been giving it alot of thought really.. About the part that i dont undestand how a website is build actually and sadly i have to agree. I thought it was easier to learn but nope.. But im not giving up or going anyhere so im still willing to learn and i will do my best to learn from places like this one and people who know what they are talking about

Especially the part that "gentleone" mentioned about simply copy the index to all of the other subpages and then change the middle/content hit me really hard. I just didnt think that was the way websites was build really. Still have a hard time accepting that

But so far thats the way i will go.. With a bit of php maybe to keep the menu the same for all pages like both him and Ricky55 mentioned.

Edit:

Just wanted to mention that i actually bought the domain 2 years ago this December so you can imagen i had alot of planning in this and i have tryed to learn stuff. And someday i will have the site looking the way i want lol.. I have nothing but time to learn.

But on the other hand i would also like to see it done soon. My original plans was 1 year but i quickly made that 2 years and those have past now. But im also not willing to pay someone to do it.. Well i am but i just have it all planned out to the smallest detail so i would be a hard customer and thats why i want to make everything on my own so i undestand how everything works really. With of cause some help from people like you. But all the typing has to be done by myself to undestand it completely i think.

[Ricky55]

Especially the part that "gentleone" mentioned about simply copy the index to all of the other subpages and then change the middle/content hit me really hard. I just didnt think that was the way websites was build really

I can't understand why that surprised you, just seems logical to me. I think you are not fully appreciating how PHP will help you to maintain the site so like Gentle says copy the index file and change only the bits that are different then let us know when you reach that point and I'll set it up with PHP for you.

There are loads of ways to build modern websites. Many websites these days are built around Content Management Systems but there is an increasing trend to create static sites when you don't need the power of a CMS as they are faster which is a big factor in todays mobile focussed world. Reason they are faster is because they don't have a database.

My most recent client site was a static site that worked with PHP just like Im suggesting here. When I do use a CMS I tend to use WordPress but for some sites its just not necessary.

There are other ways of creating static sites but for now I'd stick with this.

Cheers

[Ricky55]

Thought it might be useful for you to see the site I was talking about.

http://www.magiglideuk.co.uk

Here the whole of the header (including navigation) and the whole of the footer are PHP includes so there's just two separate files that control these making edits easy.

Each page is then just made from the parts that are unique.

No database, only one css file and only one js file all minified. This site is fast and its on fairly crappy hosting (clients fault)

HTH