I learned of SSI (Server Side Includes) long before I built my current site. Since it seemed the only way to go, I checked it out once again for the new site to be.
What SSI amounts to is creating a new page for any elements common to all pages on your site. Then ask the server to include these pages whenever main pages are requested.
For example, build a regular HTML page containing all the content, including graphics, as is often used in the left column of a page as the basis of navigation. Then, instead of adding this content to each page, simply include the file. And hey, it's super. If you need to make a change, you make it only once, instead of on every page on your site.
What prevented me initially from using SSI were notes I read regards increasing page download time. Each page using included files needs to parsed (read) by the server to find any files to be included. Being an absolute fanatic about minimizing page download speed, I passed. Bad mistake.
Six month later, changing a single menu item was taking hours. I decided to ignore the page download time and go. But I ran into another snag. Pages with includes need the SHTML extension, else the server won't parse them. (An S in front of HTML.)
Nuts. I already had lots of incoming links. Since I didn't want to bust them by changing file names, I passed once again.
I had heard people speak of ways in which a server in some cases could be instructed to treat HTML pages as SHTML pages. But I didn't check it out. Another bad mistake.
Bob McElwain
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Bob McElwain, author of "Your Path To Success". How to build ANY business you want, just the way you want it, with only pocket money.
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