How do I create an updatable menu?

I'm thinking about making another website, but I want to be able to add menu selections after I start working on that section. Like with my current website, there are only 3 menu things, and that's all I'm going to have. But on my next site I want to start off with 1, and then when I work on the next subject I want to be able to add another thing to the menu, and so on.

How do I do this without editing each webpage?

 

Well, you could use iframes of frames to achieve that... or maybe javascript or any server-side scripting lang...such as php

 

frames is probably the easiest way to do that, but if you have php on your server then there is a very easy way to do what you want.

1. change all your pages from .html to .php

2. make a file called /includes/menu.php

3. put the html you want for your menu in /includes/menu.php

4. put in your webpages where you want the menu to appear <?php include ($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/includes/menu.php'); ?>

 

^^^

what was said above, but you don't have to use php, if your server has SSI includes enabled, you can just include it in the html

here is an article about it

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/webmaster/article.php/3473341

 

I always use Components in Adobe Golive.
More info here : http://www.menumachine.com/mm1docs/instruction_pages/07-advanced/07-02_advanced.html

Isn't there such feature in Dreamweaver to?

 

I tried the SSI, and it looks like my server (I use Godaddy) doesn't enable it.

I don't want to use frames, because I'm probably going to be buying a template, and the template will probably include tables and tableless, and I will probably use tableless. That's what I'm doing with my current site.

So would I still be able to edit the pages with Frontpage? I like using the code/preview thing.

 

Yes indeed, php include should also work .
Btw just use dreamweaver or something, Frontpage isn't that good imo exept the latest version.

 

I have 2003, that's the latest right?

 

yes that's the latest version

 

Does GoDaddy also offer hosting services? I thought it is only for domain names....

 

Not sure about frontpage, but if you use dreamweaver and you make your include paths relative to your pages rather than root
eg
instead of include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'].'/includes/menu.php');
use include('../includes/menu.php');

Then dreamwever will include the relevent code in the design / preview mode. What's more if you click on the included file in design view it will open it up in a new window to edit

 

Yes, it's like $4 a month I think.