Build a CMS Step 6

If you have made it this far, congratulations!

On to the next task. You may have noticed that the code for our 3 pages is nearly the same. They all start out with a header, then some HTML blocks, and end with a footer. We could use this formula in index.php if we knew which page had been selected.

First, let's have the page files just show the blocks that are required - we will change them into .txt files showing the required blocks separated by commas.

Contents of about.txt:

We have added some column information to the 'blocks' file so that columns can be selected as well as blocks:

Contents of content.txt:

Next, let's change the menu so that index.php is the destination of each page, with 'query strings' to indicate a particular page. The About page can be requested by adding '?page=about' to the end of index.php.

So, how does index.php use the query string to generate a page?

Warning - more PHP!!!

if the About page was selected, index.php should echo the correct blocks.

Warning Warning, Danger, Danger - even more PHP!!!

There is one more bit of PHP needed so that index.php can do its job. We are going to create an array with our string of blocks. A array is a collection of names that PHP knows how to use. For the 'about' page, the array would have 2 values - 'about.htm;' and 'sale.html'.

index.php can now find the right text file, using the query string, and the 'explode' command will turn the contents of this file into a array. (PHP convention: names can be made up of variables or plain text. Text must be enclosed in quotes and everything is connected together with periods.)

That's great, you say. So, there's a array for the about page. Now what?

PHP has a very useful command called 'foreach' that works just like it sounds. ('Trim' removes extra spaces.)

Whew!! That was a lot! These basic commands will allow you to add other pages and content to your website. Since each page is generated by index.php, it's considered a 'dynamic' website.

Step 7 will use just a little bit more PHP to set up an administrative page... stay tuned!