OK I am a web designer just getting going and I'm not sure if this php stuff is what I need (right now) I know very little about all the web coding shiz so here's my question. What do I need to know to get it so that I can just update 1 file on the server and all the pages on my entire site look at that file to get the latest links/news from the one file? Is that php? If not what is it because I need to learn it fast. 
Any help would be great.
Thanks in advanced.
There are many ways to do this. Any CGI language will work, or you could use Server Side Includes if your host allows it and you just want to include a static HTML file at certain points in your other static HTML files.
If you need something more complex than including a block of static HTML you are going to need to sit down and learn some language and PHP is one of the easiest to learn, if you have any programming skills or a logical mind.
ok im still lost 
So what is the actual name of the coding? A name I search for in dreamweaver or on the net. I was looking at CGI stuff at webmonkey.com and it didn't look like it was what I am looking for. I just it so I can update 1 file and uplaod it to the server and every page that I tell to import that file to a certain box on the website will show the same info and links as whats in the main file that I uploaded to the server. Which is the easiest out of all the coding thingys out there? As I know jack about web coding.
Ok if you are uploading an HTML file that holds some layout and some links and then you want to display that HTML file inside a cell of a table in another HTML file then the easiest way is to use Server Side Includes (if your host allows it). Then in each of the pages that you want to have that uploaded HTML display you need to put a tag like this:
<!--#include file="path/to/myfile.html" -->
This will load that file as it is and put it in the location of that tag. So if you had a table with 2 cells and you wanted it in the right cell you'd do this:
<table>
<tr>
<td>
This is the left cell
</td>
<td>
<!--#include file="path/to/myfile.html" -->
</td>
</tr>
</table>
ok well I made the changes and it almost worked When in dreamweaver after you had that line it screws up the wysiwug stuff and the website no longer looks the same in dreamweaver as it looks in a browser. Also it works when I preview it in dreamweaver, but if I save the file and then look at the same thing it's GONE!! 
So it looks like dreamweaver is screwing around with the stuff after I add it. When I add the line it starts to highlight all these other lines of code like they are wrong or arent working. Any other ideas? Anything that is still simple, but gets the job done? :\
The reason dreamweaver is changing the colors is that <!-- is a comment in html it has to be closed with -->. If dreamweaver is erasing that line when it saves then you should probably put it in using another text editor. If you are using windows then Notepad is probably easiest.
Plus if your host doesn't allow Server Side Includes then this solution won't work for you.
there is one way that i know of doing it but it will only work on the web server so you will have to upload your page to see if it works.
just ad this bit of code where you want to insert the other page...
<? include("path/to/myfile.html"); ?>
(im not to sure if the ; is in the right place)
I never use Dreamweaver or any other WYSIWIG editors, precisely because of the problems you mentioned.
I use plain old text editors (Dana and Notepad) as I have total control over my code.
I personally prefer VI. Full control over what I type and no interference from any pesky WYSIWIG editor. Sure the color coding can be nice, but if you can't find your own typos without it you shouldn't be programming.
VI? I don't know html code, and I'm not looking to learn it. I need to learn so much more before I take the time to learn something that programs already do for me. I still have all that java crap to learn, cgi, php, and learn flash better. As I am looking to become the ultimate web designer > and yes, I know being an ultimate web designer I need to know html code too, it's just not very high on my list as I can have dreamweaver do a pretty good job with it. :\
Ok, this may be a pet-peev of mine but lets make sure you are trying to become what you think you are trying to become so you don't waste your time going down the wrong path.
Web-Designer: Someone who designs web pages? Most people believe that anyone who creates a web page is a web designer. This is not so. I am not a web designer I am a Programmer (or web application developer if you prefer). A web designers job is to make a web page look good, and be easy to use (User Interface stuff). If you want to be a web designer you need to concentrate on HTML and how HTML renders in all of the different browsers, and how graphics look, and what fonts are best for the type of page you are building. A web designer doesn't need to know anything about the "code" that is behind that page, only the display of the information.
Programmer (web applications developer): This is the person who sits behind the scenes and makes sure that the proper data is fed to the proper places. A programmer built the Phourm system that is this message board, not a web designer. Programmers are focused on building a set of tools that will take data in one form and make it useful in another form. Programmers usually don't care what the program looks like as long as it does it's job. Programers are the ones who need to know PHP, Perl, Java, CGI, C, C++ and any other language that comes along that will let them do there jobs. Most Programmers don't even need to know HTML beyond the basics.
So do yourself a favor and research the two before you run off to become either. Most Web-Designers that I know come from a graphic design background, and are fairly good artists. Most Programmers that I know couldn't draw a squiggly line to save their lives (myself included).
Once you've figured out which path you want to follow pick the main tool that you will need to learn and learn it first. After you have mastered that then pick up the others. Just remember that the Web is a dynamic place and what is king today may not be tomorrow.
Ah I see. Well then I guess I better get started because I'm shooting for both. Right now I have photoshop down to an art and I know a little flash, bu nothing special. Right now I need to learn the programming part of "web design" so that I know what I can design and what the limitations are of the coding. I have some really cool ideas, but I'm affraid todays code can't keep up with my imagination.
Very good. I'd suggest that you get a class in programming, so that you can make sure that your mind works is the right way. Right brain vs Left brain. Artistic and Locigal abilities sit on opposite sides of the brain, and many times people are one or the other. It's kinda rare to find people who are both Artistic and Logical, but not unheard of.
Definately take a class in conventional progamming so that you can learn what it's all about instead of just trying to figure it out on your own. There is alot of theory that goes into how computers are programmed, and if you don't get that you'll just end up being frustrated. Just about anything you can think of can be accomplished, but it might not be in an obvious way. I'd suggest starting with Basic, but unfortunatly the only Basic I've seen being taught is Visual Basic, and I don't think that would give you the proper background, it's to Windowscentric. C would be good also, but most C classes want you to have some previous programming instruction. If you can find it Pascal is a great class to learn proceedural programming (PHP is a proceedural language, mostly).
Sounds good. I had a pascal class to years in a row. > I failed the first time because I made a pascal program that looked like the Novell login screen and wrote the login name and password to a file. @!#$! That's the last time I show off my pascal skillz. 
It's been a while since I have even installed the program. Thanks for the tips.