Chapter 6. Templating Navigation Systems


Much of the power of the web derives from its ability to link from anywhere to anywhere . Sometimes, however, a linear or sequential navigation is key. Tutorials, help systems, and even static catalog pages often employ navigational elements to move progressively from one page to the next . Many designers also include a Previous or Back link to step through the sequential pages in reverse.

Although the initial coding ”typically done manually ”of sequential navigation systems is at best tedious , maintaining such sets of pages can be a nightmare. Let's say you have a five-page tutorial on training a puppy :

  • getting_started.htm

  • soft_biting.htm

  • housebreaking.htm

  • socializing.htm

  • further_training.htm

Even if you use a template for basic layout, you'll need to link one page to the other, in both directions. If you add a new page, such as placing teaching_tricks.htm after socializing.htm, you'll have to change two links ” one on socializing.htm and one on further_training.htm ”in addition to adding the links for the new page. Changing the sequence ”moving housebreaking.htm before soft_biting.htm, for example ”is even more involved and requires six different modifications.

You can see how even on a small scale, managing sequential links is maintenance intensive . On larger sites, with multiple sequences spread over thousands of pages, manual updates and modifications are highly inefficient and impractical .

Several strategies have emerged for constructing and maintaining sequential pages. In this chapter, we'll look at three approaches:

  • Template expressions ” With a bit of planning and careful coding, Dreamweaver MX's template expressions feature offers a static page alternative to data-driven flexibility. This is recommended for smaller sites.

  • JavaScript based ” If you're working with a medium-to-large static page site, a sequential navigation method that uses JavaScript arrays might work best for you.

  • Dynamic ” For large sites, data-driven navigation is probably the best answer. Centralizing the linking elements in a data source makes them highly maintainable .

You'll find code and examples for all three methods posted on the Beyond Dreamweaver web site.



Joseph Lowery's Beyond Dreamweaver
Joseph Lowerys Beyond Dreamweaver
ISBN: B000H2MWYS
EAN: N/A
Year: 2001
Pages: 87
Authors: Joseph Lowery

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