People often have identical sections of code spread throughout many ASP pages, typically code at the top of the page (usually referred to as the header) and the lower part of the page (the footer). Similarly, you may have code that performs a certain set of instructions that you are repeating across multiple pages. Consider an example:-
<%
If foobar="yes" then
response.write "YES!"
Else
response.write "NOT YES!"
End if
%>
Ok, ok... it's simple, but imagine that you used this on multiple pages. What's wrong with this picture?
Well... you don't have to think about that long before realising that if you ever wanted to change something about that piece of code, you'd have your work cut out. you would have to change every page... everyone has done this at some stage and luckily most usually take the steps to learn a way around this problem.
If we could save our valuable chunk of code into a file and have that file accessed whenever we needed the code, then we no longer have a problem when it comes to changing things, as we simply update one file. Include files or Server Side Includes (SSI) as they are more commonly known are a powerful way to not only save time when it comes to maintaining and updating a site, but also increase efficiency and speed of that site too!
Ok, lets see how we use an include file... to start with we need to use one of two methods. The first one allows for including files relatively. By that I mean relative to the directory the ASP file that is using the include file resides. The second method includes files virtually. Including files virtually means that the path is taken from the root directory.
Consider that we are going to have a file (/main/somefile.asp) include another file (/includes/someinclude.asp).
To demonstrate, relative inclusion, look at this:-
<%
Response.Write "executing included code now"
%>
<!--#include file="../includes/someinclude.asp"-->
<%
Response.write "done executing included code"
%>
And here, we give an example of the other method, virtual inclusion:-
<%
Response.Write "executing included code now"
%>
<!--#include virtual="/includes/someinclude.asp"-->
<%
Response.write "done executing included code"
%>
Note the slight difference between the two methods. With virtual inclusion, you can move the file that calls upon the include file anywhere without affecting the outcome, because the path is always relative to the root. The same cannot be said however for relative inclusion. If you move a file that is using relative inclusion to a different directory, you'll most likely find the relative path is no longer correct.
From the examples above, you may also notice that both methods, when calling the include do so OUTSIDE of the ASP script block. This because #include declarations are not interpreted by ASP. Include files are included before a single line of ASP is processed which means the following WONT work:-
%lt;%
Page=request.form("page")
%>
<!--#include file="../includes/<%=page%>.asp"-->
We were attempting to perform a dynamic include and I would be the first to admit that the above would be very useful indeed if in fact it were possible. I do intend to cover a few methods that work around this set back but I know you will now be itching to get started right away on using include files to even worry about this, so I will cover it in a future article.
I hope that you have found the above informative and hope it inspires you all to write code that's more efficient and more easily maintained.
Rob Collyer, experienced with 20 years programming knowledge and site administrator of www.webforumz.com - Copyright 2003-2004
disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..Designing an E-commerce Web site is not as simple as... Read More
"How do I improve web site sales figures?" The CEO... Read More
If your company own one or more stores, you might... Read More
Building a website and getting it online is easy. Driving... Read More
If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More
Like most average persons, I wanted some extra money to... Read More
When I started my company in 2002, I knew I... Read More
What happened on your website yesterday? What about last week... Read More
Affiliate programs are a great way to earn an income... Read More
Project Safekids provides webmasters a valuable tool which could save... Read More
The first step in setting up an online business...Starting an... Read More
Knowledge is power.And undoubtedly, it is the key to making... Read More
Directory Generator, a product from Armand Morin and Marc Quarles,... Read More
Have you ever wondered what challenges are faced by other... Read More
So you want to have a website. You have gone... Read More
Design and layout can make your communication come alive and... Read More
The "robots" meta tag, when used properly, will tell the... Read More
Optimal website design is the art of logical navigation.It will... Read More
August 8 2005, Macromedia announced a release of Studio 8.... Read More
1. As the first step, "Hire a web designer."First create... Read More
Now that you have got your domain name registered, your... Read More
You hear a great deal about the Internet these days... Read More
Building a new website can be a lengthy task. From... Read More
Before you start building your site, ask yourself "WHY?". Why... Read More
Keywords in Search Engine Optimizing and Search Engine Marketing are... Read More
bathroom cleaning service Mundelein ..Everyday thousands of new businesses make the leap and take... Read More
Affiliate programs are a great way to earn an income... Read More
When you take a look at the most visited sites... Read More
Building a new website can be a lengthy task. From... Read More
Can you imagine the hypocrisy of spending thousands of dollars,... Read More
Web sites are an Ongoing Part of Business.All too many... Read More
Keywords in Search Engine Optimizing and Search Engine Marketing are... Read More
The first step in setting up an online business...Starting an... Read More
They might not be wearing a mask and carrying a... Read More
Every good Internet business understands the value of conversions versus... Read More
Webmaster tools are vital to becoming both efficient and effective... Read More
One of the things that many people overlook when building... Read More
Making maximum profit from your law firm website is important,... Read More
The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) states that service providers must... Read More
Although there are significant differences among the various types of... Read More
Web sites are not just places to sell things; they... Read More
URL rewriting are major needs for your sites that produce... Read More
When I started my company in 2002, I knew I... Read More
This simple question can take on several different forms, but... Read More
1. Choose a big enough font size. A size 12... Read More
A website is like an information flow, with you as... Read More
Recently, a friend asked "What's the deal with those DIY... Read More
So your prospect, Mary, is sitting at the computer reading... Read More
Are bloated images slowing down your web site and causing... Read More
Visitors to your site come looking for information or solutions... Read More
Web Development |