What is the best way to include another html file?
Hi,
What is the best way to include another html file such as a footer that is the same on all pages. I read about using a server side include, but is there a better way to do it?
To use PHP it need to be running on a server for it to work. For local testing you can use something like xampp. This lets you install a server on your PC.
web pages that use server side includes need to have a .shtml extension unless you override it in a server configuration file (I'm not sure which file it is for IIS). You also need to be referencing the page via IIS and not directly for the include to work.
There is no way to include files without some sort of server side processing which mreans running a server in order for it to work.
Most web sites end up needing other server side processing in addition to includes and so a server side language such as PHP which supports both processing on the server and includes is a more flexible option than using SSI.
The simplest way to set up a server on your own computer including both a server side language and a database (for storing data on the server after processing) is to download and install XAMPP - http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html
The best alternative is to set up with a server/language/database combination that is at least similar to what you have on your live web hosting - even if the versions of each are not completely identical (although it is better if they are as then you know what works on your computer will still work when you upload it).
I got it working with xampp - what other differences are there between file extensions? Should I use .shtml for every page or just ones with includes in them?
Should I use .shtml for every page or just ones with includes in them?
That’s entirely up to you. You can also have SHTML files with plain HTML in them (i. e. without includes), or keep the .htm/.html extension but if you have includes they have to be named .shtml (unless you change that in the server config, e. g. through an .htaccess file).
Should I use .shtml for every page or just ones with includes in them?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both ways.
If you use that extension for all your pages then the pages that don't have includes will load slightly slower because the server has to check if they have includes in them before sending them to the browser.
The advantage that might offset this is that it allows you to add includes into a page that doesn't yet have them without having to rename the file.
I wrote an article that included a simple way to incorporate a simple footer using Javascript and innerHTML. See if it will be sufficient in your case:
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