Content

Map

Overview

We have learned that websites are actually made up of 3 main elements, all of which are separated as much as possible. The pages you see displayed on popular websites do not actually physically exist. Rather, they are combinations of different elements that come together dynamically to create each page at any given time.

Next we will explore the basic idea behind how websites dynamically combine various elements to create and display webpages and then we will explore each element, one by one, and provide overviews and tutorials that will allow you to create the elements needed for your own site.

Websites usually have a set structure to their web pages. The overall look and layout remains the same while only the content changes. Within the content itself, exists more structure, such as all titles being a certain color or font, while all images have some padding or border around them.

You can think of this repeating structure as a kind of template or shell that simply contains different pieces of content. Simply add new content to plug into the shell, and you have effectively created a new page.

Your website's template is usually an actual file that refrences your core elements. The template file is the medium through which the elements are combined.

My 3 Website Elements

Inside the template file, the code will instruct the template to include various external files:

	include Presentation file = style.css
	include behavior file = work.php
	include content file = alaska.html

The last line will include your content file, but since you want to produce different pages with different content, you need a way to specify which content will load on which page. You can do this by having a variable that includes the content file, then specifying that variable within any links that point to your website

	include Presentation file = style.css
	include behavior file = work.php
	include content file = (x).html  // where x is a variable

You then would give links to your friends that looked like this:

• www.mysite.com?x=alaska
• www.mysite.com?x=california
• www.mysite.com?x=france

Your template page will get the x variable from your link, and bring up the appropriate content file.

In this way a website can have potentially unlimited webpages using only 1 template page and 3 main element files.

1. PRESENTATION file - Edit one page to change the look of your entire site.
2. BEHAVIOR file - Edit one page to change the behavior of your entire site.
3. CONTENT files - Easily edit content files or add new ones.

That is essentially all there is to creating a website. Of course it is not quite that easy, so next up we will delve right into how to actually code and develop each of your 3 website elements.

Back to Top

CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE

Web Content

Discuss This Article

• No need to sign up.
• Post questions, comments, or feedback.
• I will reply to every comment or question during beta.

Greyed out topics indicate content coming soon
but not currently available.