Hi All,

 

I need some advice on creating web page templates. Once I've coded a web page in Dreamweaver, I convert the page to a Template and then added Editable Regions, which I then use for creating subsequent pages. Although this works great, it bloats the code with template comments.

 

I've heard of using PHP includes for permanent regions, such as header/navigation and the footer. Is using Dreamweaver templates OK or are PHP includes regarded as the more professional way to go?

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Hi All,

 

I need some advice on creating web page templates. Once I've coded a web page in Dreamweaver, I convert the page to a Template and then added Editable Regions, which I then use for creating subsequent pages. Although this works great, it bloats the code with template comments.

 

I've heard of using PHP includes for permanent regions, such as header/navigation and the footer. Is using Dreamweaver templates OK or are PHP includes regarded as the more professional way to go?

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

PHP includes are very useful for updating navigation sitewide they are also very useful in updating blocks of text within website pages, personally I would avoid using dreamweaver templates but that is personal preference.

 

eg

 

<div id="wrapper">
<div id="topleft"><div id="cameo"></div><div id="header"></div>
<?php include 'topnav.html'; ?>
</div>
<div id="topright"></div>
<?php include 'sidenav.html'; ?>
<div class="centreimage1"><img src="images/lady-penelope-chepstow-aromatherapy-massage.jpg" alt="lady penelope aromatherapy massage mobile therapist chepstow " /></div>

<div id="rightcolumn"><h1 id="replacearomatherapymassage">Aromatherapy Massage</h1><?php include 'dawncms/aromatherapymassagelink.php'; ?>

 

the above code contains various include files, these files could be relevant to many pages, by updating the one file you are updating every instance of the include file on potentially many webpages.

 

Hope this is clear

 

Pat

Why not try an easy to use CMS like MODx ?

same principles, yet you work within a PHP framework with lots of pre made snippets + modules for building functionality

Good Luck

Many thanks for your replies.

 

I'm going to kick the Dreamweaver templates into touch and go down the PHP route.

 

Cheers

Great choice, it'll change your whole perspective on web design/development.