You can use a PHP include, if you are using php. Create a file for your header and menus and name it something like header.php & menus.php. (they can be separate or together in one file) You can create one for your footer, too.

Then, on every page you want them, include them with php like this:
<?php include("header.php"); ?>
Your html pages need the .php extension for this to work.

Your page might look like this:

The header file might look like this:


The footer might look like this:

thank you, ill try this.

hi siji44,

Honestly, its only four pages, don't think you need to go php. simply repeat your header divs using the same classes and if you coded it right, once you change your classes, all your pages will be changed as well.

Easy stuff!

please ignore this advice,
plan on expansion,
plan on 100,000 pages, and the database to support them, and the design features to import a single css and javascript file, and to php/ssi/cgi/asp(your choice) include all the common code.

Do it now when it is four pages, and you dont have to come back in a month and rewrite 40, come back in six months to rewrite 400 or more, and decide what code can be common.

imagine for example Wikipedia without the includes, and backend, every page requiring Joe Public to hand code menus to millions of other pages, for a minor edit .....
Dont think anyone would like to make edits
( WikiPedia is chosen as a design model that works )

I also may recommend framesets. You can look into that, i recommend for almost all web programming: www.w3schools.com.

Frames are a bit clumsy, and lost of mobile browsers dont support them very well

You are actually being quite ridiculous bob. Wikipedia is probably the worst example you could think of. It's like you telling him (in lame-mans terms) to build a factory, it can do EVERYTHING FOR YOU when he will only be manufacturing 5 products. Not every site grows exponentially.

If you planning on building a large site, i would recommend going CMS there are alot of open source solutions available. This will save you development time and templating is relatively simple.

I am, arent I...

Siji44, plan on some expansion,
There will always be a few more changes to make, additional pages
if you arent going to use some includes, make a template you can paste content into, with the head scripts appearance set

I think everyone's opinion is valid. Give the person asking the question some information, and let him make his own informed decision!

=)