Oneill0003
asked on
Webpage Layout
Hi Experts:
I’m not new to web design but definitely haven’t design a new site in years, I have only been updating and making small changes to existing ones. I’m just new to all the new tools to design a site. I’m creating a site from scratch and I’m just a little confused about my layout and what tools to use on it. My questions are the following:
1. Should I use tables, frames or what is the best choice to start on my layout?
2. I will like to use CSS for my site where can I find a good book or a good site with excellent tips?
3. One thing that is been bugging me a lot is for each page that I create do I have to repeat my navigation tool bar and logos. How do I make it change just the body of my site so I don’t have to repeat everything on each child page? I’m planning on having a header and probably side columns with navigation menus and probably some advertisement.
4. What is the main difference between HTML vs XHTML and what should i used?
I’m very familiar with HTML i just need some help on my layout and how a website gets driving.
I’m planning on designing this site in Dreamweaver.
Thanks for the help.
I’m not new to web design but definitely haven’t design a new site in years, I have only been updating and making small changes to existing ones. I’m just new to all the new tools to design a site. I’m creating a site from scratch and I’m just a little confused about my layout and what tools to use on it. My questions are the following:
1. Should I use tables, frames or what is the best choice to start on my layout?
2. I will like to use CSS for my site where can I find a good book or a good site with excellent tips?
3. One thing that is been bugging me a lot is for each page that I create do I have to repeat my navigation tool bar and logos. How do I make it change just the body of my site so I don’t have to repeat everything on each child page? I’m planning on having a header and probably side columns with navigation menus and probably some advertisement.
4. What is the main difference between HTML vs XHTML and what should i used?
I’m very familiar with HTML i just need some help on my layout and how a website gets driving.
I’m planning on designing this site in Dreamweaver.
Thanks for the help.
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The O'Reilly CSS Pocket Reference and CSS Cookbook are good reseources for getting started with CSS Layouts. The Eric Meyers books mentioned above are fabulous. Good, general HTML/XHTML references are: anything written by Molly Holzschlag (http://www.molly.com/books.php), The Complete Reference: HTML & XHTML by Powell
>>thats the normal way to create a site right?
Yes, but how to do that depends on the technology you have available. If you are doing server side coding (like asp.net coldfusion, php, etc) then you have the feature of includes, master pages, components, etc to d this.
If using only html (or xhtml), then technically you must repeat the code for headers and navigation on each page. However, Dreamweaver helps you with this with their templates.
The way Dreamweaver templates works is that you define a template. Which has the header/navigation/etc, and then you mark where the body will go. Then you create the next page based on the template. Dreamweaver then creates a new page referencing the template page and locks all sections except the sections you specify as editable regions (syuch as the body or part of the body).
If you later make a change to the template file, Dreamweaver updates all the associated files.
The difference between this and a server side method is that with a server side method - you only need to update the one header file. With plain html/xhtml you need to update every page. However, as Dreamweaver does this for you, it helps tremendously.
:o)
Yes, but how to do that depends on the technology you have available. If you are doing server side coding (like asp.net coldfusion, php, etc) then you have the feature of includes, master pages, components, etc to d this.
If using only html (or xhtml), then technically you must repeat the code for headers and navigation on each page. However, Dreamweaver helps you with this with their templates.
The way Dreamweaver templates works is that you define a template. Which has the header/navigation/etc, and then you mark where the body will go. Then you create the next page based on the template. Dreamweaver then creates a new page referencing the template page and locks all sections except the sections you specify as editable regions (syuch as the body or part of the body).
If you later make a change to the template file, Dreamweaver updates all the associated files.
The difference between this and a server side method is that with a server side method - you only need to update the one header file. With plain html/xhtml you need to update every page. However, as Dreamweaver does this for you, it helps tremendously.
:o)
ASKER
Excellent, thanks mrichmon, this was exactly the info that i need it.
If i decide to use php how hard will it be to create it?
When you said "server side coding" what exactly do you mean?
The coding done in HTML is not server side?
Thanks
If i decide to use php how hard will it be to create it?
When you said "server side coding" what exactly do you mean?
The coding done in HTML is not server side?
Thanks
Instead of a .html extension, you would save it as .php
To include a file in PHP, use the following syntax:
<? include "inc/filename.inc"; ?>
An have your code snippet saved as "filename.inc" in the appropriate directory. This is basically a server-side include. Essentially, it is a cut and paste of the data in the included file. Each included file needs only be created once (e.g. header.inc, nav.inc, footer.inc) and they can be included on multiple pages. That way, as mrichmon said, you only need to change the .inc file when you want to update the entire site.
They don't have to be .inc, they can be .txt, .htm, .wtf, .etc whatever you want. .inc is just a "standard" of sorts.
To include a file in PHP, use the following syntax:
<? include "inc/filename.inc"; ?>
An have your code snippet saved as "filename.inc" in the appropriate directory. This is basically a server-side include. Essentially, it is a cut and paste of the data in the included file. Each included file needs only be created once (e.g. header.inc, nav.inc, footer.inc) and they can be included on multiple pages. That way, as mrichmon said, you only need to change the .inc file when you want to update the entire site.
They don't have to be .inc, they can be .txt, .htm, .wtf, .etc whatever you want. .inc is just a "standard" of sorts.
ASKER
Is their a big advantage between creating my site using php or HTML?
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ASKER
My site is not going to store user data and i don't think in the future it will . I'm defenitely will take your tips and get to work. Thanks mrichmon for all your input it really gave me clear undestand of what i need and how to accomplish it. I will try to check those books soon. Thanks again for your help!
ASKER
About the question about <<One thing that is been bugging me a lot is for each page that I create do I have to repeat my navigation tool bar and logos. How do I make it change just the body of my site so I don’t have to repeat everything on each child page?>>
I'm still a little confused, i haven't really looked to much into Dreamweaver templates, but will they guide me were i don't have to duplicate my home page to create the other pages? That’s my main concerned and i don't know if i'm just making a big deal out of nothing. I just want to create my Index page and make the body of my index page change to About us, Product info or just anything else i want to talk about. I know i will have to create the rest of my pages separately but i will not have to repeat headers and navigation bar right? How do i accomplish this? and thats the normal way to create a site right?
Thanks