Dynamic VS Static

rgermain

I was just recently asked about a php page I created. The question was if the page was Dynamic or Static? This page is a just a form that when completed gets send to someones email. I told them that it was a static page cause the content never really changes. Later got to thinking maybe it is a little dynamic cause it is sending out that email. How would you define dynamic? Just wondering!

steadyguy

Static means it doesn't change at all ... and dynamic means it changes over time, or based on some other criterion. So I'd say you were right. Even though your page responds to a request whose contents will change frequently, I'd say you were right in calling it static.

planetsim

there is quite a difference between the two which yourself and steadyguy pointed out

Basically

dynamic - forever changing and never being the same, Just like your IP address if you have DialUp or a dynamic IP if your on Broadband, it will keep changing depending on your sessions expirity date/time. This is also an automatic thing so no user has to change anything. (Unless your adding news through form to database) etc.

Static on the other hand stays the same. And to be changed must be done manually i.e. a user must physically change the information themselves.

Doug_G

For web pages, dynamic pages are pages where the html to the browser is at least in part "dynamically" generated by the php server-side program code.

A straight html page is a static page, or a php page with no actual php code in it.

drawmack

actually

Reference: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/d/dynamic.html

In other words

A dynmic page is built when it is requested. A static page is built and laying around on the server. Therefore the question is this, do you have the fields of the form and stuff stored in a database of some sort? If you do then it is a dynamic page, if you do not then it is a static page.

To relate back to what the others were saying: A dynamic page as the ability to change overtime but it doesn't have to change overtime.

goldbug

Yes, but does anyone make dryer sheets to combat "dynamic cling" ???

(groan away)

piersk

Originally posted by goldbug
"dynamic cling"

You wanna see a doctor about that :p

GilesGuthrie

Originally posted by rgermain
I was just recently asked about a php page I created. The question was if the page was Dynamic or Static? This page is a just a form that when completed gets send to someones email. I told them that it was a static page cause the content never really changes. Later got to thinking maybe it is a little dynamic cause it is sending out that email. How would you define dynamic? Just wondering!

The form is static.
The handler (the file that's in the "action" part of the form tag) is dynamic. This is because the handler creates the e-mail on-the-fly, dependent upon the data passed to it by the form.