Easy Site Structure Using ssi, css and Dreamweaver Template
When your website design was created using Dreamweaver template, and you want to make an update to a template, you will have to upload all the pages on the server even after making a small change to a template. However when you use ‘ssi’ or ‘php’ include files to built a website your maintenance work is greatly shortened to a minimum and maintenance process simple and easy. At one click you can update the navigation, footer or side bar of the whole website.
At first you need to set your website to Server Site with the appropriate extension in a control panel (shortcut: Ctl+U or Cmd+U). Once there click the “New Document” tab. Selcet the extension of your web pages, in this case .shtml or .php. From now all new pages wil have these extensions. Next create a template in Adobe Dreamweaver. This technique was tested on Dreamwaver 8 but for the best result you need to use at Dreamveaver CS3 and up.)
Once you create a template, replace any parts of the website that show consistently throughout the pages and need frequent updates or future expansion, using ssi or php files to be included. This will give better control over updating your website design.
How to create a ssi / php included file.
Highlight and copy the element you want to replace on the Dreamweaver template, for instance menu/navigation.
Create new html document
Remove all coding from it so you end up having empty page when you see it in code preview
Paste the whole element you copied from Dreamweaver template you want to replace
Save the file with extension ’ssi’.
Same can be done for ‘.php’ files.
When you have created copies of the website elements as ssi or php files, replace them with appropriate elements ssi or php depending on what is the technology of your website (shtml or php).*Note: php can include .ssi files as well as .php files with no problem.
The whole html / php element will show up on the page preview. Once the included files are included in Dreamweaver Template you need to upload updated included files without uploading the whole website since your DW Template will be unchanged. When pages are connected with the template the root file url will change to wherever the page is located. So no worries. You can also insert the ssi / php files by going to Insert>Server-Site Include.
This simple and powerful technique will save time for your future website maintenance as you will need to upload and change on single ssi / php file being included. You can include the whole page content or a single navigation file. It is very useful in designing a website that requires future expansion of the navigation, header or footer. You can use this technique to even a higher level website structure based on Server-Site technology.
Good luck.
Walter Matyas is a web designer specializing in web branding and marketing. He is a founder of theMMedia.com, the Vancouver website tutorials company.
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