Help with a template

IRandall

I was trying to use some code I found to create a template for my website. The code seems very simple but having no experience with php I'm coming up short on how to use it.

In a template page it has this...

<?php function render_page() { ?>
<html>
<head>
  <title><?php echo $title ?></title>
  <meta name="description" content="<?php echo $desc ?>">
  <meta name="keywords" content="<?php echo $keywords ?>">
  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="mystyle.css">
</head>
<body>
<!-- Layout code goes here -->
  <?php echo body_text(); ?>
<!-- Layout code goes here -->
</body>
<?php } ?>

And in the content pages it has this

<?php
include("template.php");
$title = "This is the Title of the page";
$desc = "This is the META description of the page";
$keywords = "This is the META keywords of the page";
function body_text() {
  // content of the page goes here
}
render_page();
?>

There are several problems. First, variables assigned in the content page are not printed. If I define them as a constant...

define("TITLE", "This is the Title of the page");

and call them as a constant...

<title><?php echo TITLE; ?></title>

... they show up correctly but I don't know why they don't show up when defined as a variable.

Also, where it says "//content of the page goes here" I can't put any content there without an error message being generated.

I'm extremely new to this. Any help in getting this to work is greatly appreciated.

yelvington

Variables are not visible inside functions unless you specifically declare them.

http://us2.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.scope.php

Frederick

Creating your own template site is easier then you think.

Create the main page (index.php) the way you want to site to appear and place your header, menu, etc. into the locations you want to display them.
Place the following code into the area where your content will change from page to page.

You default page as used in the example below will be called:
_Home_Page.php

<?php
if (!isset($page)) { $page = "_Home_Page"; }
if (file_exists("$page.php")) {
$loadpage = @include("$page.php");
if (!$loadpage) { echo "Failed to load page"; }
} else {
echo "Sorry, the requested page is not available";
}
?>

Linking your page are as follows:

I want to link to a page called Services.php located in the ROOT directory
index.php?page=Services

If Services.php is located in a sub-directory called Sub_Pages
index.php?page=Sub_Pages/Services

With this style of site, you only need to edit one page for adding links, editing your graphics, etc.
The whole index page can be HTML formatted except the code specified above. Its your option.