Single File or Mutiple Files ?!?

matronik

I'm asking myself if it's a better idea, while building up a website with a content management system, to use only one file (i.e. index.php that controls sections and actions for each module) or it is a better idea to use different files (i.e. register.php for Registering and consultingDB.php for another purpose).

Please help me to take the best way.

Drakla

Multiple files every time, but you can consolidate common functions or page features into files that you will include.

You see lots of questions like "How do I tidy up my site by having it so I can use somedomain.com/index.php?page=contactus" and they're only doing it because they've seen it and think it's ahem 'cool'.

If you've got a problem with your register page you know where to go to fix it - the register page, or the included file register-funcs.php, if you're dragging page content from a database to debug it then that's an extra hurdle.

Obviously if you're delivering content such as articles that are content managed you will have pages for that.

Develop a system that lets you have a skeleton page. One of the big sites I work on has this as a template - and this actually IS the template

<?php
include('include/logincheck.php');
include('header-inc.php');

//get any $_GET vars here
?>
<table width="100%"  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
	<tr valign="top">
		<td width="25%"><?php include('include/lefttable.php');?></td>
		<td width="50%"><table width="100%"  border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="contentTable">
				<tr>
					<th>MAIN BOX TITLE HERE</th>
				</tr>
				<tr>
					<td align="center" class="notpaddy">PAGE CONTENTS HERE</td>
				</tr>
			</table></td>
		<td width="25%"><?php include('include/righttable.php'); ?></td>
	</tr>
</table>
<?php
include('footer-inc.php');
?>

The page contents are often replaced by a function defined at the bottom of the page or in a seperate include so the guts could become

This means the site could be redesigned really quickly and the functions just 'plopped' back in again.

matronik

Originally posted by Drakla
Multiple files every time, but you can consolidate common functions or page features into files that you will include.

You see lots of questions like "How do I tidy up my site by having it so I can use somedomain.com/index.php?page=contactus" and they're only doing it because they've seen it and think it's ahem 'cool'.

If you've got a problem with your register page you know where to go to fix it - the register page, or the included file register-funcs.php, if you're dragging page content from a database to debug it then that's an extra hurdle.

Obviously if you're delivering content such as articles that are content managed you will have pages for that.

Develop a system that lets you have a skeleton page. One of the big sites I work on has this as a template - and this actually IS the template
<?php
include('include/logincheck.php');
include('header-inc.php');

//get any $_GET vars here
?>
<table width="100%"  border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
	<tr valign="top">
		<td width="25%"><?php include('include/lefttable.php');?></td>
		<td width="50%"><table width="100%"  border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="contentTable">
				<tr>
					<th>MAIN BOX TITLE HERE</th>
				</tr>
				<tr>
					<td align="center" class="notpaddy">PAGE CONTENTS HERE</td>
				</tr>
			</table></td>
		<td width="25%"><?php include('include/righttable.php'); ?></td>
	</tr>
</table>
<?php
include('footer-inc.php');
?>
The page contents are often replaced by a function defined at the bottom of the page or in a seperate include so the guts could become

<td align="center" class="notpaddy"><?php show_user_details(); ?></td>

This means the site could be redesigned really quickly and the functions just 'plopped' back in again. [/B]

Thxs