Dynamic Menu's

[Kcarson]

I am finally getting time to really devote to my site, and as I plan out the necessary steps I was wondering if someone could help me with this.On the home page will be a menu, such as:HomeReferencesCalendarPicturesContact UsEtc.Now when people go to each page, for instance Pictures, I want it to look like this:HomeReferencesCalendarPictures--Album 1--Album 2--Album 3--etc.Contact UsEtc.So, I had planned on using SSI's to do the menu so that it will be easy to maintain as the site grows, but do I need to create multiple SSI's for each page, or can I do this dynamically with PHP, ASP, or ASP.net? And if so, can sombody point me in the right direction?Thanks.

[Chocolate570]

If I think I know what you want---then you can use the php include() function, and keep a seperate php file for the menu---meaning, you only have to change the menu in one place.As for the other thing you wanted, you'd have to use SQL and put different choices under each main column/table, and build the menu according to what you pull out of the tables. :)PHP Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.aspSQL Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.aspGood luck and have fun!Choco

[Kcarson]

If I think I know what you want---then you can use the php include() function, and keep a seperate php file for the menu---meaning, you only have to change the menu in one place.As for the other thing you wanted, you'd have to use SQL and put different choices under each main column/table, and build the menu according to what you pull out of the tables. :)PHP Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.aspSQL Tutorial: http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.aspGood luck and have fun!Choco

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So you do just use SSI's and then in the SSI you would call the menu from a SQL table?I guess then I would have to do something like use if statements for each menu option to determine if I needed to show the sub-menu for that particular option.And use this kind of logic for each menu option?If that is the case, then I wouldn't actually have to use a SQL call, but I could just include the necessary pieces in the PHP/ASP code itself, but before I truly go down this path, I want to be sure there is not an easier way.By the way Chocolate570, you accidentally posted the same URL for PHP and SQL, but I know what you meant

[~Shinta]

People are making this too complicated. You need to know HTML and CSS, and if you want to make things hard, Javascript. There is an article on A List Apart about them here: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/hybridJust edit the CSS a bit to make it vertical.

[Kcarson]

People are making this too complicated. You need to know HTML and CSS, and if you want to make things hard, Javascript. There is an article on A List Apart about them here: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/hybridJust edit the CSS a bit to make it vertical.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ahh...I knew it wasn't that difficult. Thanks for the site, it looks like it should work like a charm. I will play around with it more later on, but I believe that it should be enough to help me get the menu section just right.

[~Shinta]

Post your site when you are done.

[Skemcin]

or, I've taken what I think is an equally simple approach.

• I start by cerating one SSI menu file.
• On every page, I set a value at the top - <cfset section="xxxxxx">
• In the menu SSI file, simply build the complete navigation menu - fully expanded
• Then, in the menu SSI file, build a condition around each set of links that pertain to the respective section:

  Xxxxxxx Links<br><cfif section IS "xxxxxx">(all my links for that section)<br>(all my links for that section)<br>(all my links for that section)<br>(all my links for that section)<br><br></cfif>

• Throw in a javascript that toggles the sections for extra measure if you like
• Done!

Note: the same logic can be applied with any other server side scripting language.

[Kcarson]

or, I've taken what I think is an equally simple approach.

• I start by cerating one SSI menu file.
• On every page, I set a value at the top - <cfset section="xxxxxx">
• In the menu SSI file, simply build the complete navigation menu - fully expanded
• Then, in the menu SSI file, build a condition around each set of links that pertain to the respective section:

  Xxxxxxx Links<br><cfif section IS "xxxxxx">(all my links for that section)<br>(all my links for that section)<br>(all my links for that section)<br>(all my links for that section)<br><br></cfif>

• Throw in a javascript that toggles the sections for extra measure if you like
• Done!

Note: the same logic can be applied with any other server side scripting language.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, so it is an if statement checking to see what page you are on in order to decide which sub-menu to display. Makes enough sense. Let the fun begin now....(meaning now I can start whether it be with Shinta or Skemcin's method)