footer and nav include

[TMPAdmin]

I used to know how to do this but it seems as though time and new programming has passed me by. I just want to include a simple web page for a left nav bar and one for a footer. In Dreamweaver I use <!--#include file="includes/leftnav.htm" --> and it shows up in the preview but when I put the page on my host (tested on two hosts) and locally just opening the index.htm through my computer the inclues are not there. I also tried <include src="file.htm"> but that didn't work in either DW or explorer.

PLEASE can anyone help out. I just want this site as simple as possible but I don't want to have to deal with pasting the nav and footer on each page.

Thanks,
TMP

[Zachery]

What if anything are you programming in? If your using just html you should really brush up on your skills ;)

[Dani]

What you are doing by including files is called SSI, server side includes. Normally files which use SSI have an *.shtml extension but sometimes an *.html extension is supported as well.

SSI, as its name suggests, is performed server-side. Therefore, the server hosting the files needs to support it. Apparently the remote hosts you are using support SSI but your local computer does not, and therefore it won't work locally. That's okay - just upload the files and it should all work.

It's similar to how a web dev language such as PHP operates. You can't execute PHP code locally without installing Apache or the like on your home machine.

If you wish to be able to test SSI out locally, install the Apache server (windows version) on your home machine. :) Otherwise, create a folder no one knows about on your remote host to do testing :)

[Roberdin]

Hmmm, you could download, install Apache, spend three hours poking it until it works, then setup PHP, go back to poking Apache, and learn how to do some absic PHP scripting, and persuade your host to install it.... or you could do this:

<script type="text/html" src="header.htm"></script>
and
<script type="text/html" src="footer.htm"></script>

[samaru]

Hmmm, you could download, install Apache, spend three hours poking it until it works, then setup PHP, go back to poking Apache, and learn how to do some absic PHP scripting, and persuade your host to install it.... or you could do this:

<script type="text/html" src="header.htm"></script>
and
<script type="text/html" src="footer.htm"></script>

That only applies when including JavaScript/VBScript, not HTML files. He'd have to output his HTML using JavaScript to make that work. I wish it worked though, because that would definitely come in useful! ;)

[rixius]

Does your remote host support php?

[floris]

www.w3c.org has great information about xhtml and ssi :D
you could also rename your pages to .php and include it using php :D

<?php include ... ?>

www.php.net function search: include

[Dani]

Hey floris, welcome back - long time no see :)

But that goes right back to the original problem ... his local computer won't execute PHP scripts :(

[crc3577]

look at that guy above me, avatar. :rolleyes:

[Ragnarok]

Hmmm, you could download, install Apache, spend three hours poking it until it works, then setup PHP, go back to poking Apache, and learn how to do some absic PHP scripting

or you could do it the easy way and follow this tutorial Installing Apache, PHP, and MySQL under Windows

[Phaelax]

You could use shared borders in front page. It's sort of like using frames, but not.

[I, Brian]

PHP includes are absolutely superb - once I learned about them I use them everywhere. :)