Include header nav bar to handle multidirectory site

aaron_karp

A ways back I started using include() to help me manage the content of my pages - notably the navigation bar.

I wanted to get your thoughts on how to create relative links in the header file, even when you have multiple levels on your site.

For those of you who don't understand what I'm getting at, imagine you have a header file that contains your nav bar:

// header.php
<a href="about.php">About Us</a> | <a href="contact.php">Contact Us</a> | <a href="http://www.chick.com">Not what you'd expect</a>

Now, I'm going to include() that on all my pages. It works fine on index.php but if I put it on users/profiles/index.php all of the relative links no longer work.

I could pass a GET variable through the function, include("../../header.php?deep=2"); that would tell my header to prepend all links with "../../" - but that's the best way I can think of doing it.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to use headers to include navigation bars with relative links more effectively?

Thanks.

twilson

Why would you not use absolute links?

Tom

aaron_karp

I want the code to be portable between domains.

twilson

Putting "/about.php" would work on any domain?

ppowell

I've done the same thing, however, to be honest my solution might be a bit complex for you but consider the option.

A complete rewrite of your logic to an OO based solution with a View type class that takes parameters indicating the location and name of server, paths, etc., and then display the contents as a return from the class method.

Instead of having an include() you would have a require_once() to a class library PHP script that in your main template would look like this:

<?
  require_once('classes.inc.php');
  $leftNavObj =& new LeftNav('www.blah.com', '/path/to/file.php');
  $leftNav = $leftNavObj->displayHTML();
  $leftNavObj = null;
// MORE STUFF
?>

<table border=0>
 <tr>
  <td><?= $leftNav ?></td>
 </tr>
</table>

Not sure how that might help but that's my approach to CM design and structure now.

Phil