Menu Management Software?

[KatyS]

Was wondering if there is any sort of software that can be used just for duplicating a menu system automatically across multiple pages of a site.

My current site is done with hand coded static pages and it takes ages to do a copy and paste job across all the pages if I change the menu titles / structure.

I was hoping for an answer that wouldn't require a total re-design / re-write!

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

[HTMLBasicTutor]

You can use PHP includes and put instructions in your .htaccess file to parse PHP as HTML. You won't be able to see the included portions when viewing from your computer but once you upload to the web server you can.

PHP includes
Parse PHP as HTML

[KatyS]

yay thanks! think I might be off on a bit of a steep learning curve again to work out how to do it.... but that definitely looks like the solution Thanks for that and the links in your sig' which also look helpful

[williamc]

<?php include("menu.html"); ?>

[KatyS]

ah cheers, that turned out to be depressingly simple.... (depressing because of all the time I've wasted not doing it that way before!)

supplementary silly question is there any way to have same menu throughout but have button display differently when you're actually viewing the page that button links to (sort of a 'you are here' feature) - wiki template menus seem to work that way but I don't know if its possible in html? (would only be for the page you're actually on, rather than for all visited links)

EDIT: nevermind on the last bit - just found this:
http://hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/hig...-page-with-css
which looks like what I need for that part (was just having problems working out what it would be called so I could search properly)

[williamc]

What you found is correct, you can control all of that with simple css.

[cbosleeds]

Other option as well as PHP includes is to do a simple global find and replace using text editing software such as Notetab Standard - the license costs around £5.00 English Pounds and you would still have a static website at the end of it so no fiddling about learning any PHP.

[williamc]

The idea behind a dynamic menu system is that you only ever have to modify and upload ONE file. It is more about time management than anything else.

[MikeSzyszka]

For static HTLM pages I use <!--#include virtual="/includes/BStopmap.html"--> You will have to change all pages one more time... On the the other had, while you are changing the static pages, you may want to add more includes. I use files call topmap, bottommap, title, leftcol, rightcol, google, endofpage, endofcontent, and ads just in case.

A blank include will only display one blank line

[williamc]

On many servers SSI only works on .shtml files unless a special directive is setup for .html files ahead of time.