I have seen websites lately that contain similar interfaces throughout the website (particularly game websites).  When they change their interface, how do they change all the pages at once?  I need to do this with my website, because i forgot to put a "back" button on the bottom of many pages.  Please tell me if and how this is possible!

Most webmasters use PHP or other programming language as well as use CSS to modify one area for all pages change at once without entering each page change manually---that will be time consuming.

Just give you example:

header.php
footer.php
template.php
webcontent.php
menu.php

or

header.css
footer.css
bodystyle.css
template.css

goes on. . . so you will know which you want to modify that area for example template.php or template.css for all pages to be changed automatically.

Got it, @webhaccker!!!

For forum sites you seen, that is depend on the type of free forum theme such as SMF (Simple Machine Forum), PHPBBB, or others they obtain uploading them to their web host with its own forum administration panel system.

For example SMF user installs Blue-Sky SMF theme from SMF modification site to be installed on their SMF administration panel system on their web host to change from default SMF theme to Blue-Sky SMF theme. They also can delete SMF logo header image (smflogo.jpg) to replace their own logo header image (theirlogo.jpg). They have to edit their SMF template.php to replace the filename of image from (smflogo.jpg) to (theirlogo.jpg).

Got it!

in PHP, this is called an include, callable either via require_once() or require()

Suppose u hv a site with a header, footer, main content area, and navigation. obvioiusly, only the content area (where the text is) should change. So you put the other sections in an include file (you could, for example, have header.inc, footer.inc, etc). That way, if you need to change something in say, the header, you make it in that one file and it changes everywhere.

As for the colors, etc, that can be done via CSS *in an external file*. So letz say in January you want the site to be green. Then in March, if you want it a different color, since you are using an external file, you just change the color of the section in the CSS file and bingo! it changes everywhere.

LESSON OF THE DAY: Every good site must have a solid architecture. You have to spend 90% of your time determining the layout of your site. If you don't, the remaining 10% of your (development) time will be a living hell.

Thank you guys, but from what it sounds like, PHP is like a "linkable html" in a way, is this at all a correct assumption?

the include, not PHP, is like a linkable html, if i understand what u mean.

by the way, even HTML has the same capability. in this case, you would use a server side include.

yawa-ti-de:

in PHP, this is called an include, callable either via require_once() or require()

Suppose u hv a site with a header, footer, main content area, and navigation. obvioiusly, only the content area (where the text is) should change. So you put the other sections in an include file (you could, for example, have header.inc, footer.inc, etc). That way, if you need to change something in say, the header, you make it in that one file and it changes everywhere.

As for the colors, etc, that can be done via CSS *in an external file*. So letz say in January you want the site to be green. Then in March, if you want it a different color, since you are using an external file, you just change the color of the section in the CSS file and bingo! it changes everywhere.

LESSON OF THE DAY: Every good site must have a solid architecture. You have to spend 90% of your time determining the layout of your site. If you don't, the remaining 10% of your (development) time will be a living hell.

Do you have experience with editing the simple machine forum? I am currently hosting one and need help with configuration, let me know

Unfortunately I don't larger as I have no need to maintain an SMF site. However, from maintaining CMS sites, I would imagine I would do what I have done there: View the source to know what I want to change, find what backend file it's in, make a back up of the file I want to change, change the file I need to change and experiment till I have gotten it right.

Thank You!

@webhaccker

I guess you have been given the solution to your problem. The next thing you should do here is to go get knowledge of PHP if you are still confused about this include or require stuff. For me, I think the include is a better choice because it is just a single line of PHP statement but it does all you want it to do. It is better and faster. If integrated a lot of places in your web pages, it could help reduce loading time too.