Template Help

Dysfnctnl85

I'm about to give up. What started out as an "easy" way to organize a website has gone to crap because

a) It really isn't easy OR
b) I'm just frustrated so I can't do anything

So essentially I've created an index.php and a style.css file. Within the stype.css file I've defined the regions of the page: a menu/header/footer/body. Now, my goal behind all of this was to have an index.php which includes these specific regions.

Now, the links in the menu do not work in the way I want them to. When the user clicks a link, the correct .html page should load in the "body" part of the index.php page.

Please tell me this is logically correct. Then maybe you can tell me what I need to do to accomplish this.

If not, I think I will rip my hair out and cease learning to develop webpages.

P.S. If you think I haven't looked for tutorials, you are wrong. Not one of them is written by anyone who can articulate. I will remedy this once I have an understanding of templates!

snoopy13

if I understand right, you are trying to do the following:

navigation:

for example: < href="index.php?page=1">home</a>

then in the body of the index you say:

<?php if ($page==1) include('home.php');?>

right?

TTT

really simple static template handling:

// index.php
<? 
include("page_top.php"); // headers etc
if(!isset($dep)) {
   $dep = 0;
}
$contentArray[0] = "default_content.php";
$contentArray[1] = "other_content.php";
$contentArray[2] = "whatever_content.php";
include("navigation.php");
   // navi ex. index.php?dep=1

// :: content begins :: //
   include("templates/".$contentArray[$dep]);


// :: content ends :: //
?>

include("footer.php");

Dysfnctnl85

Originally posted by snoopy13
if I understand right, you are trying to do the following:

navigation:

for example: < href="index.php?page=1">home</a>

then in the body of the index you say:
<?php if ($page==1) include('home.php');?>
right? [/B]

Essentially, I think so.

I'm new to PHP, obviously, so I don't really know how to do this stuff.

But I guess I need some sort of variable (like you've created) that knows which link has been clicked so that the content portion of my index.php can change to reflect the link.

Does that make sense?

snoopy13

exactly

try and it it doesn'work post again:-)

Dysfnctnl85

But I still don't know how to change the variable. You know, how do I tell that a certain link has been clicked, and that the variable should change to a certain .html page?

snoopy13

you put the variable into the link - as I showed you with
<a href="index.php?page=1">page1</a>

the next link is <a href="index.php?page=2>page2</a>

etc....

then, in the body of the site index.php you say

if ($page==1) indlude ('page1.php');
if ($page==2) include('page2.php');//you tell the body which content to include (to show)

in page1.php you put the content you want to show.

and so on..

better?

Dysfnctnl85

Much better.

I won't be able to try this until after 2:00 because I'm at work, haha.

I really do appreciate the help and I will be sure to post in here letting you know how it went.

Thanks again!

bubblenut

may be safer to $_GET['page'] rather than just $page, in case global_variables is set to false;
HTH
Bubble

Dysfnctnl85

It took you about 5 mins to explain what I've been trying to figure out for a long, long time. Thanks snoopy13!

Dysfnctnl85

Okay there's only one problem, but I think it should be easily fixed...

I had a border going around my "main" content page and now the border is gone. It's declared in my CSS.

Any ideas?

Dysfnctnl85

Nevermind, careless error.

snoopy13

have you tried putting   into the table cell? (before the <?php include...)