PHP without database to build pages?

palmguy

Hi,

I'm trying to determine if there is a way to use PHP to build pages without the html for a part of a page being in a database.

I have a page layout that contains one table consisting of two columns.

The left column is the navigation, the right column is the content.

So, what I need is...

I'm on a page
I click
the target page is populated with the appropriate
- navigation set and
- content.

I'm pretty sure it can be done with a database. I think it might be doable with a template. At the moment, both of those are beyond by implimentation cababilities.

Thanks!
Phillip 🆒

siwis

Assuming you want the repetitive pieces of code to not need to be saved to a db, then the simplest solution is to create 2 files: header.php and footer.php

If you've already got a template (ie the basic page structure but with an empty space where the content needs to be placed, header.php should include everything PRIOR to that space, and footer.php should include everything AFTER that area.

Then in your actual file you would have something like:

<?PHP
include "header.php";

# Code for generated output

include "footer.php";
?>

This assumes that header.php and footer.php are located in the same directory as your actual script.

I have a templates folder and central config files. My central config file will contain something like this:

<?PHP
$TPL_DATA = "/home/sites/siteXX/web/templates/";
?>

so my actual file would look like this:

<?PHP
include "config.php";
include $TPL_DATA . "header.php";

# Code for generated output

include $TPL_DATA . "footer.php";
?>

This then allows for files to be moved without breaking the include paths as they are actually being called at a server path level.

palmguy

Hi,

Thanks. I'm still on a steeeeeeeeeep learning curve on this, so what you wrote shot somewhat above me. I'm going to finish the couple of tutorials I have then revisit your answer.

Thanks!

Best regards,
Phillip 🆒

zcketcher

Rather than use a database to store content I would use includes. Something like the following might be usefull:

create your template .inc file (for lack of a more creative name I'll call it "page.inc".

This file will set up a default page with a default navigation menu and no content.

page.inc

<?
class Tpage
{
var $navMenu;
var $content;

//Constructor...init your menu here
function Tpage()
{
$this->navMenu = "Default menu code (html)";
$this->content = "";
}

function draw()
{
echo "<table width=100%>
<tr>
<td width=150>$this->navMenu</td>
<td width=*>$this->content</td>
</tr>
</table>";
}
}
?>

Then to create any page you simply do the following

newpage.php

<?
include("path/to/inc/files/page.inc");

$page = new Tpage //Init your page object
$page->navMenu = "new menu code(HTML)";
$page->content = "Welcome to my site";

$page->draw();
?>

...to use your default menu simply dont assign the variable, or to append to your existing menu use .=

I know this way does not give you a database solution however (opinion) I would rather use included files and not use a datbase to store HTML.

I have used this method on a few websites and as you get more complicated with your content it provides a great way to create pages and manage them.

siwis

I'll try to put it into simpler terms for you.
If I understood your question correctly, you wanted to know if it was possible to not be required to save all of the html that generates a page into a database???

What I suggested was that if you have repetitive pieces of html, ie those that construct the basic template of any site, with just one area for which the content changes on a per page basis then the easiest method to employ is to strip the repetitive pieces of html into 2 chunks. The html that constructs everything before the page specific content should be saved to a file header.php, and the html that constructs everything after the the page specific content should be saved to a file footer.php. (The filenames are irrelevant at this stage.

So what you've now got is a sequence of html chunks:
Before Content (html contained in header.php)
Content (html generated by your script)
After Content (html contained in footer.php)

All you now tell your script that generates the content to do is to "include" the contents of header.php before generating any output, and to "include" the contents of footer.php after it has generated it's output. In that way, what gets delivered to the browser is a full page worth of html but with you only needing to edit header and foter files to make site wide changes to layout.

tekman270

You can use classes in php? mr burns exceelent... hehe sorry to gank your thread.. ill shut up now. back to thread discussion.. I would have to agree with using the includes, im not the best in php... yet, but I have my way with C++, and um.. ya thats the same way I would approach it with that language... it would be a small effcient way of doing it, instead of running to the DB, just cause like it would be cool if it was on the DB.. hehe

palmguy

Hey,

I'm all good with not going to a DB. In fact, that is what my thought was, connecting with SQL is a bit above my skill set at the moment. That and I wasn't really sure that a DB was needed. Also, the person I'm trying to do this for doesn't have any DB skills either and they'd have to do the maintenance - so that would put them in a bad spot.

Thanks!
Phillip 🆒

tekman270

well connecting with the mysql db isnt that very difficult of a thing, i guess it all has to do with what your comfortable with. zcketcher Had a very good way of implementing what you wanted, and will probably be your best bet.