Site Design/Layout

[ChoaticWhisper]

Whats the easyest way to have a good bit of content that looks good with out alot of pages?
Do I just create a basic site template using a table and using the include() just call the menu and header and whatever esle on each page? or is there a easier way? So I dont have so many pages?
I will store most of the info in a MySQL db, but still it seems like I would have alot of pages.
I mean I looked at VBLite(VBulletin Free verison) and without the admin part You can have a entire forum with like 7 pages.

Remember, Im new at php and MySQL I know alittle bit.

[ChoaticWhisper]

No One?

[strangerstill]

I guess the best solution depends on the size & type of your site. I'm currently making my first site using php and I've found that its easiest to store the header and side menu in a php file and include() it on each page like you said.

A few tips I have are:

• don't use tables for layout, use <DIV> tags - tables mean that the whole page has to load before it displays, with DIV tags it gan display it bit by bit
• when include()ing the header from within your site, use something like $denest='../../' so the page can find shared resources (stylesheets, logos etc)
• also setting $pagetitle='A page within my site' lets the header include contain the HTML head element by <TITLE><?=pagetitle?></TITLE>

anyway, this works for me, if you're using MySQL you're already way ahead of me!

[ChoaticWhisper]

I looked at the site in your "WWW", It looks really good.
I have never used the div tag before, I looked at your stylesheet and I never could figure out the positioning with css. You have any tips on learning it?(Not the ww3 site, Ive check that so many times.)

[strangerstill]

Unfortunately, as I say on my webpage, I learnt almost all I know of HTML and CSS from the w3c sites - I'm just one of those people who feels most confident when learning from the ur-authority

Anyways, the easiest way to design a page layout is to use notepad to make a very simple page with an embedded stylesheet & just experiment! If you're creating a header/sidebar layout, you want to set position: absolute; and play around with width & height attributes. A good tip is to use em measurements on things that are text-based so it sizes properly when people change font size but to use px measurements on things that are image based.

Other than that, why not start a thread asking if people know of any good css tutorials? Finally, just look at pages you like on the web and copy their design & css stylings. Good luck!

[ChoaticWhisper]

Well I have started already, I decided that I wont be keeping most info MySQL db because I dont have much info, Thats my problem with creating sites.
But Since I created alot of my site with tables, I kept the tables.
I have created most of it, but its pretty lame so far. Plus I need some better colors.

Im just using a simple template.php and then page.inc to do all the pages.
So far its pretty easy.
If Im online this should work