Making a BlueVoda site with 1 menu common to all pages & the facility to change 2 other areas
using the same method.
To make the master page, I personally find it easier to make up a full page that could be split down into 4 areas, Header, Left column, Footer & main centre area, like the image below. This is how your completed master page would look.
Naturally this can be more simple in just having 1 area to add all your common parts for each page. But this is more flexible.
using the same method.
To make the master page, I personally find it easier to make up a full page that could be split down into 4 areas, Header, Left column, Footer & main centre area, like the image below. This is how your completed master page would look.
Naturally this can be more simple in just having 1 area to add all your common parts for each page. But this is more flexible.
h1.php Main header with logo & main menu on, all within the red area
ls1.php
Left side area
with posibly Google
adds, or any other adds common to all pages
Left side area
with posibly Google
adds, or any other adds common to all pages
f1.php Where you could place another menu & copywrite notice.
Once you have the layout to exactly how you want it & placed any elements (Like menus & adds) that you want to appear on all pages , it is then best to lock the whole page, give it a php extension & saving it as master page.
From this page we have to now create 4 pages & call them h1/ls1/f1/ & finally index for the 1st website page.
Now close the master page & then click on clone page & select the master page you just closed.
We can now create a header for all pages by removing every element on the page except the red area & parts within this area. Now “save page as” “h1”. This page can now be published & forgotten about.
Now create another page by cloning the master page again for left hand side & removing all elements with the exception of the green area & all elements within this area, then naming the page as “ls1” save as & publish.
Repeat again for the footer & calling this “f1”. You should now have 3 pages published?
Now the last page is a little different in that as before we will remove all elements except the centre area
We now have to place 3 html boxes in the top left hand corner of the page to tell the browser to bring all the pages we created together onto 1 page. These boxes can be different sizes to enable clicking on them, but must be pushed right up into the top left hand corner to enable all parts to match up on final page.
In the 1st box you will enter.......
<?
include 'h1.php';
?>
In the 2nd one..........
<?
include 'ls1.php';
?>
In the 3rd one........
<?
include 'f1.php';
?>
Now save this page as master-page-2 & close. These 3 codes above could all be put in 1 html box, but you would loose the opportunity to bring areas to the front or back if needed.
We have now made up all the elements for the pages to make life a lot quicker for the rest of the site.
So for the 1st page to be created, you just press the clone icon & select master page 2 & enter all the text & images in the centre area that you have. When finished save as index (if it's your 1st page) & publish.
Repeat for all pages & naming them appropriately with "about-us" "contact-us" & so on.
When you have got used to this, it can be worth making up 2 types of page. The one like the one you just made at around 6-700px in length & then a a longer one at maybe 1200 long. You can still use the header page for this part, but would have to move & extend the other 3 parts of the page to make a "master page 2long".
Your master page will look like this.
From this page we have to now create 4 pages & call them h1/ls1/f1/ & finally index for the 1st website page.
Now close the master page & then click on clone page & select the master page you just closed.
We can now create a header for all pages by removing every element on the page except the red area & parts within this area. Now “save page as” “h1”. This page can now be published & forgotten about.
Now create another page by cloning the master page again for left hand side & removing all elements with the exception of the green area & all elements within this area, then naming the page as “ls1” save as & publish.
Repeat again for the footer & calling this “f1”. You should now have 3 pages published?
Now the last page is a little different in that as before we will remove all elements except the centre area
We now have to place 3 html boxes in the top left hand corner of the page to tell the browser to bring all the pages we created together onto 1 page. These boxes can be different sizes to enable clicking on them, but must be pushed right up into the top left hand corner to enable all parts to match up on final page.
In the 1st box you will enter.......
<?
include 'h1.php';
?>
In the 2nd one..........
<?
include 'ls1.php';
?>
In the 3rd one........
<?
include 'f1.php';
?>
Now save this page as master-page-2 & close. These 3 codes above could all be put in 1 html box, but you would loose the opportunity to bring areas to the front or back if needed.
We have now made up all the elements for the pages to make life a lot quicker for the rest of the site.
So for the 1st page to be created, you just press the clone icon & select master page 2 & enter all the text & images in the centre area that you have. When finished save as index (if it's your 1st page) & publish.
Repeat for all pages & naming them appropriately with "about-us" "contact-us" & so on.
When you have got used to this, it can be worth making up 2 types of page. The one like the one you just made at around 6-700px in length & then a a longer one at maybe 1200 long. You can still use the header page for this part, but would have to move & extend the other 3 parts of the page to make a "master page 2long".
Your master page will look like this.
Html box
<?
include 'h1.php';
?>
<?
include 'h1.php';
?>
Html box
<?
include 'ls1.php';
?>
<?
include 'ls1.php';
?>
Html box
<?
include 'f1.php';
?>
<?
include 'f1.php';
?>
This is your working area, within the grey border box.
This is your working area, within the grey box.
Now if you want to upgrade the head/Left side or footer, you only have to change 1 of the pages, & all website pages will be updated. This is what the finished page will look like. LINK
Remember that all files need to be in the same directory. If you create another directory, publish the 3 other php files with your menu's on to your new directory as well.
Naturally this can be done with just 2 pages, having 1 page as the top/side/footer & 1 as your main work area for each page. But spiting it into 4 can be a bit more versatile with changes at a later date.
Remember that all files need to be in the same directory. If you create another directory, publish the 3 other php files with your menu's on to your new directory as well.
Naturally this can be done with just 2 pages, having 1 page as the top/side/footer & 1 as your main work area for each page. But spiting it into 4 can be a bit more versatile with changes at a later date.