Combining XHTML and PHP

XHTML is a client-side markup language. The code is sent entirely to the browser where the user's application interprets the intent of the code and displays the content appropriately.

PHP is also uncompiled, but it is interpreted at the server where it has easy access to database content and scripted data structures. Based on your page requests, the PHP code pieces together the next page you need, and sends the XHTML on to the browser.

Many PostNuke modules use templates, which allow you to customize the XHTML layout you want modules to display. These templates sit on the server, and when it's time for them to be used, the PHP code reads in your template files to format the rest of the content. PostNuke constantly combines XHTML and PHP in this way.

When you edit PostNuke source code to hack and customize the modules to your needs, you can greatly change the way XHTML is rendered. In much of the code, there are global style calls hard-coded in to the tags. These are very useful for global controls, but if you need to customize a specific module to have a different appearance, you can edit the style calls inside the PHP to use new cascading style sheets (CSS) classes you've created.

Your style sheets can also be driven by PHP; simply turn common, repeated elements into variables in your sheets. Management of your class elements can be done with easy changes. And certainly if PostNuke can generate XHTML dynamically for its pages, you can use it to generate components for your templates. Approach the site development creatively. If you see pieces of XHTML that are continually reused, create PHP variables that contain the code and use them instead. It might take a bit of additional time up front, but the payoff in simplified site management will save much more time for the entire duration of the site's life.