Solved: PHP Newbie questions

skyhigh007 · 25-Feb-2008, 12:04 PM #1

Hi

Here's my situation, I have created a website using Xhtml & CSS, the problem is that the header, footer and other constant contents are re-loaded in very page that I have created and I think that will slow the loading speed of the pages. So, I decide to try php where you can re-use the header, footer in every page and I don't have to go edit in every page. My question is which function in PHP should I use to re-use the header, footer , etc ? Include, require, include-once, require once ?

My files are: header.php, footer.php, ...etc

In index.php

<?php include( "header.php") ?>

middle content

<?php include("footer.php") ?>

is set up correct?

Thanks

Sequal7 · 25-Feb-2008, 01:01 PM #2

It would be include, but don't forget the closing ;

Code:

<?php include(header.php); ?>

You could also use require, they perform the same function, just handle errors differently.

TheRobatron · 25-Feb-2008, 03:04 PM #3

I always use

PHP Code:

<?php include "file.txt" ?>

because

PHP Code:

<?php include(file.txt) ?>

never works for me...

MMJ · 25-Feb-2008, 03:11 PM #4

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sequal7

It would be include, but don't forget the closing ;

Although thats good practice it isn't really necessary since you close the PHP block right after it.

skyhigh007 · 25-Feb-2008, 04:31 PM #5

I have another question.

Do I have to put the following code in every php page, even in the header.php and footer.php?
Or I just have to put it in the individual main page?

"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>Untitled Document</title>
</head>

<body>
</body>
</html>"

TheRobatron · 25-Feb-2008, 04:38 PM #6

No, the include command inputs the text direclty into the document, so it's as if you actually wrote it in. Because PHP is server-side, the browser doesn't see any of the PHP and so just the text in the file. You still need to put in formatting tags though (<p>), unless you wrap them round the PHP on every page:

HTML Code:

<p> <?php include "file.php" ?> </p>

skyhigh007 · 25-Feb-2008, 05:02 PM #7

This is my footer.php

<div id="footer">
<ul id="foot">
<li><a href="index.php">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="shipReturn.php">Shipping&Return</a></li>
<li><a href="privacy.php">Privacy Policy</a></li>
<li><a href="contact.php">Contact Us </a></li>
<li><a href="news.php">News</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Site Map</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="copy"> Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved </p>
</div>

Is this standard or I need to put some <?php ?> tag around the whole cde?

TheRobatron · 25-Feb-2008, 05:14 PM #8

No, just write it exactly as if you were writing it directly into the HTML file. Remember, everything that is in the file will be put into the HTML file.

skyhigh007 · 25-Feb-2008, 06:01 PM #9

Would you explain it more detail by giving examples that I use in the above code?

Sequal7 · 26-Feb-2008, 01:04 AM **#10**

There are several ways of doing it, if you dont want to write the code for each page and don't mind a static page title, then redo your header like this:

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>My Website</title>
</head>

Name that header.php

And redo your footer like this;

Code:

<div id="footer">
<ul id="foot">
<li><a href="index.php">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="shipReturn.php">Shipping&amp;Return</a></li>
<li><a href="privacy.php">Privacy Policy</a></li>
<li><a href="contact.php">Contact Us </a></li>
<li><a href="news.php">News</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Site Map</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="copy"> Copyright &copy; 2007. All Rights Reserved </p>
</div></body>
</html>

Name that footer.php

then your pages can look like this;

Code:

<?php include(header.php); ?>
<div class body>
<ul>
  <li>Bulleted list</li>
  <li>Bullett two</li>
</ul>
<ol>
  <li>Numbered lists</li>
  <li>second number</li>
  <li>third</li>
</ol>
<h3>Header 3</h3>
<h2>Header 2  </h2>
<h1>Header 1 </h1></div>
<?php include(footer.php); ?>

and the result would be;

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>Untitled Document</title>
</head>

<div class body>
<ul>
  <li>Bulleted list</li>
  <li>Bullett two</li>
</ul>
<ol>
  <li>Numbered lists</li>
  <li>second number</li>
  <li>third</li>
</ol>
<h3>Header 3</h3>
<h2>Header 2  </h2>
<h1>Header 1 </h1></div>
<div id="footer">
<ul id="foot">
<li><a href="index.php">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="shipReturn.php">Shipping&amp;Return</a></li>
<li><a href="privacy.php">Privacy Policy</a></li>
<li><a href="contact.php">Contact Us </a></li>
<li><a href="news.php">News</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Site Map</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="copy"> Copyright &copy; 2007. All Rights Reserved </p>
</div></body>
</html>

Don't forget to define your div body, this is just an example. If you don't define it in css then just add <body> at the very first line to each page taht is including the head page.

skyhigh007 · 26-Feb-2008, 12:19 PM **#11**

Hi

Thank you for the example. What do you mean when you said "if you dont want to write the code for each page and don't mind a static page title" ?

Sequal7 · 27-Feb-2008, 02:34 PM **#12**

The page title would remain the same if you add the

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>My Website</title>
</head>

Look at the page title here, it says "php Newby Question - Tech Support Guy Forums", then go to the forums, it says Tech Support Guy - Free help for ....."

You could define the page title displayed in the header page, with a php variable but you would need to define that on each page, adding something like;

Code:

<?
$subtitle = "your page title here"; //now include the header.php page
include('header.php');
?>

NOTE: Each page you are writing (other than the header and footer.php pages) will need this on it at the top. Change the "your page title here" to the page title you want on that particular page.

Then change your header page to this;

Code:

if (isset($subtitle)) {
   echo $subtitle;
} else {
   echo "default subtitle"; //change to a  default name if an error is discovered
}

Then change your title content in the header.php page to this;

Code:

<title>
   MAIN TITLE &raquo; <? if (isset($subtitle)) { echo $subtitle; } ?>
</title>

Full example of header.php

Code:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<?if (isset($subtitle)) {
   echo $subtitle;
} else {
   echo "default subtitle";
}?>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>
   Page Title &raquo; <? if (isset($subtitle)) { echo $subtitle; } ?>
</title>
</head>

This should give you defined page titles.

tomdkat · 27-Feb-2008, 03:05 PM **#13**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyhigh007

the problem is that the header, footer and other constant contents are re-loaded in very page that I have created and I think that will slow the loading speed of the pages.

How so?

Peace...

rick22 · 28-Feb-2008, 09:21 AM **#14**

well, all of this just went up my head.... didnt understand even a single thing.. :P

skyhigh007 · 28-Feb-2008, 04:15 PM **#15**

Thanks for the example again. How do i or where should i declare a variable that can be used for many pages? Does it has to be on an individual page that is for global variables only ?

I hope all this reusing or sharing will speed up the loading process.

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