My personal website contains dozens of pages with an identical format. The content goes into the main table, but things such as the background, title image, and copyright/disclaimer at the bottom are the same on every page.

I'd like to have it so that I can change something like the copyright notice just once and have it change on every page, without having to manually change each HTML file, which is my current stone-age method. What exactly is needed in order to do this? I suppose I'm just looking for the name of whatever term this technique is called.

Yes, yes, I know "google is your friend". I'm not asking for anyone to do my work for me or teach me how to do it, I'm just trying to find out what exactly this is called so I can search for the proper thing.

You probably need something like PHP or Perl to do that.

That's kind of what I suspected. Thanks!

I've extremely limited web design knowledge, but years ago people used to do this with something called Server Side Includes. It can also be done with PHP. I have no idea what the preferred method is these days.

http://www.boutell.com/newfaq/creating/include.html

I really don't know much about webdesign, but you could generate the HTML for each page using a javascript function. It would require you to add one line <script type="text/javascript">drawCopyright();</script> to replace your current code for the copyright section. When you change the code in the function, it will change in all the pages that you visit that use the function. This would be entirely client side.

Like I said, I'm new at web stuffs and this probably isn't the best way.

edit: the best way I can think of but that would probably be too much work for you would be to redesign the site as one html page. Since only the contents section changes at any time, you could generate that part either using javascript/DOM or by using some creative visibility settings (eg, when users click a link write javascript to change a different div box's visibility to show or hide.

Frames!

Server Side Includes are the way that I had done it in the past.

You know, back before i started using FLASH

Php includes are an easy way of doing things.

I'd say it depends on what's available on your host.

Your server will probably already be PHP-ready (although you might have to turn it on in the control panel). I use those include once commands a lot.

Just put your information (like the copyright stuff) in a separate file, and then use this command where you want the file to show up.

Yeah, PHP includes are the most likely to work. Server side includes aren't that well supported.

I haven't heard "Server side includes" in probably 4 years..

Sadly, the vast majority of Massassi's site uses server side includes >.>

Php includes was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a lot, guys, it works perfectly!

I love you for taking "Try PHP Inclues" and managing to figure it out all by yourself. <3

Yes, this was one of the least incompetent requests for help in a very long time.

I wish we had some sort of suitable prize

FAIL.

I'll give him a prize!

Pick a custom title and color of your choice and I'll add it!