Layout Help

_lt_st_gt_

I have a layout which needs to be in php. I'm aware by using <? include etc etc is all good but my layout seems to go out of alignment when I add content.

I have tried adding the .php files (header, footer etc) into tables but this hasn't worked.

Any suggestions ? I would really appreciate some help!

Dada78

Can you post a link to an example or some code?

_lt_st_gt_

yeah sure. Do you use msn? it's just it will be a lot quicker.

_lt_st_gt_

Here is the code :

<title>Music Everything</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css">

</style></head>

</tr>
<tr>
<td width="17" height="500" valign="top" background="images/bg_left.gif"> </td>
<td height="500" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><table width="780" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td><img src="images/homebutton.jpg" width="88" height="38"><img src="images/musicbutton.jpg" width="94" height="38"><img src="images/filmbutton.jpg" width="86" height="38"><img src="images/gamesbutton.jpg" width="95" height="38"><img src="images/aboutbutton.jpg" width="88" height="38"><img src="images/contactbutton.jpg" width="98" height="38"><img src="images/shoppingbutton.jpg" width="231" height="38"></td>
</tr>
</table>
<table width="780" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">

    <tr>
      <td><img src="images/topbar.jpg" width="780" height="48"></td>
    </tr>
  </table>
  <table width="780" height="500" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
    <tr>
      <td width="188" valign="top" bgcolor="#246494"><img src="images/leftshadow.jpg" width="188" height="17">
        <table width="188" height="150" border="0" cellspacing="0">
          <tr>

            <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
          </tr>
        </table>
      <img src="images/home.jpg" width="188" height="30"><img src="images/music.jpg" width="188" height="30"><img src="images/film.jpeg" width="188" height="30"><img src="images/games.jpg" width="188" height="30"></td>
      <td valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><table width="592" height="500" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="4">
        <tr>
          <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
          <td valign="top">&nbsp;</td>
          <td width="165" valign="top">&nbsp;</td>

        </tr>
      </table></td>
    </tr>
    <tr valign="top">
      <td height="50" colspan="2"><img src="images/footer.jpg" width="780" height="51"></td>
    </tr>
</table></td>
<td width="17" height="500" valign="top" background="images/bg_right.gif">&nbsp;</td>

</tr>

</table>
</body>
</html>

bpat1434

How about some comparative images....

~Brett

_lt_st_gt_

huh ?

Dada78

If I can, I don't provide help over IM, sorry. I have my own work that needs to be done. So if I can provide help while browsing through here I will. If you can post a link or code for others to view it will help us help you. I can tell you right now it is a HTML issue. I am new to PHP but not HTML. PHP won't effect your layout as PHP is just server side calls that don't effect the HTML layout even though the PHP is embedding in the HTML code.

Dada78

Your table is way to wide, you have it at 814, that is too wide for most resoultion standars. It shouldn't be any wider then 768 at the most. Set it to 100%

<table width="814" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">

Also your footer image

 <td height="50" colspan="2"><img src="images/footer.jpg" width="780" height="51"></td>

is at 780, that needs to be resized or set to 100% try that and see if that helps.

bpat1434

take a screenshot of what it is supposed to look like, and then what it does when you add the PHP code. This will help narrow down what code is actually at fault... I agree that is an HTML issue (since I use PHP all the time and it doesnt' break my css sites....)
Patterson Web Services Intricate CSS design, CSS embedded, no breakage
Personal website Another css design, with PHP and no breaking...
Personal Website (2) Another design, all css & php, no breakage..

So it is an HTML or CSS issue probably...

~Brett

_lt_st_gt_

Ok here is the link for the page

http://cms-stu-iis.gre.ac.uk/ts419/music/

(nb this is just a draft for a piece of coursework, I know its not that great!)

The content will be placed in the white space.

I will change the table sizes now.

_lt_st_gt_

I'm not even sure I'm adding the code correctly.. I use the html code for the header and name it header.php, then do the same with the footer. Now as you can see I wanted the left navigation included in the layout so I tried diferrent ways, and each time the text I enetered (as the content) was pushing the layout to the side, or below.

bpat1434

Okay...a few things...

Working with a fixed width is fine, just try and keep it to 760px maximum
Working with a header and footer file is fine, just remember include them properly
If your file doesn't include PHP code, it doesn't need the extension
You can include any type of file you want, PHP includes it as non-php code (unless it runs into php tags)

The way I would include it would be this way:

<?php

$html['head'] = file_get_contents('header.html');

// While you're doing whatever
$html['body'] = 'Whatever your body is...';

$html['foot'] = file_get_contents('footer.html');

echo $html['head'].$html['body'].$html['foot'];
?>

But that's quick & dirty way that works (not the best, or even the cleanest).

You could also do:

<?php
include('header.html');
// do whatever you need to display the body..
include('footer.html');
?>

That would work just as well...

~Brett

_lt_st_gt_

Thankyou.

But as you can see I have a left navigation part to my layout.

Should that be included in the header.php file or the footer?

Dada78

I am working on an exmaple to show you how to work that in, give me a few mins.

rincewind456

I would suggest you first build a page that doesn't abuse tables in the way that this does or use proprietary attributes like "leftmargin", "topmargin", "marginwidth", etc, and then make sure it validates and only then break it into parts for including.
BTW one of your tables is 1009px wide another is 821px the other two are 780px it not surprising it's breaking.

_lt_st_gt_

Thanks

Dada78

Yea ricewind makes a very good point and it's something that I have pointed out to you about the widths being to large. My main default table I never go past 700px. then all other tables that are emebbed within another table I can just use 100% if I don't need them a certain size.

You might be looking for something like this, nothing fancy, just for exmaple purposes.

http://www.texascampingforum.com/test/new.php?page=main

the new.php would actually be index.php for you but I already had a index.php for I couldn't use it again in the dir.

_lt_st_gt_

yes thats exactly what I'm looking for

_theworks

I would suggest you first build a page that doesn't abuse tables in the way that this does or use proprietary attributes like "leftmargin", "topmargin", "marginwidth", etc, and then make sure it validates and only then break it into parts for including.
BTW one of your tables is 1009px wide another is 821px the other two are 780px it not surprising it's breaking.

😃 ....spot on... 😃

try this resource... http://www.mezzoblue.com/zengarden/resources/ for example CSS layouts etc...

_lt_st_gt_

i got it first time thanks