PHP Includes for header and footer

SimpleMan · Share | #1 (**permalink**) 06-22-2012, 08:02 PM

This is actually several questions.....

When using PHP includes for "header" files and "footer" files, when marking up the aforementioned files, it doesn't validate when you have doctype, <head>, etc on files. What is the customary way to markup the header and footer files so they validate?

I have simply the raw html and right now it looks fine. Is this the proper way of doing it?

Also, when search spiders crawl your site and you have it set up this way, will it index the header and footer files by themselves? Do you need to use robot.txt files to prohibit this from happening?

**HTMLBasicTutor** · #2 (**permalink**) 06-22-2012, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimpleMan

When using PHP includes for "header" files and "footer" files, when marking up the aforementioned files, it doesn't validate when you have doctype, <head>, etc on files. What is the customary way to markup the header and footer files so they validate?

If you are trying to validate your pages "as is" they are not going to validate because you are missing the head section (assuming your doctype, character encoding etc. is in your include) and what ever closing tags you have in your footer include. I have a test fold on my web server where I upload the includes and pages, call up a page in the browser (which would be assembled) then validate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimpleMan

Also, when search spiders crawl your site and you have it set up this way, will it index the header and footer files by themselves? Do you need to use robot.txt files to prohibit this from happening?

If you put your includes in a folder and an instruction in the robots.txt file for the bots to keep out then in theory that should work. You could put a blank HTML index page in the folder too just to be sure.

SimpleMan · #3 (**permalink**) 06-22-2012, 08:23 PM

My "header.php" and "footer.php" now have no doctype or anything. They are simply: <div>content</div> ..... my "index.php" that has the includes now validates. So I should stick these included files in a folder of their own and prohibit crawling with robot.txt, correct? I will be fine doing this? Thanks for the quick reply btw.

**HTMLBasicTutor** · #4 (**permalink**) 06-22-2012, 08:31 PM

Yes to putting the includes in a folder. Don't forget to change the path to the includes in your pages.

sammiess · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2012, 01:15 PM

or put dissalow for these files directly in your robots.txt. You can generate this file using Google Webmaster Tools

annahussy · #6 (**permalink**) 07-04-2012, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimpleMan

My "header.php" and "footer.php" now have no doctype or anything. They are simply: <div>content</div> ..... my "index.php" that has the includes now validates. So I should stick these included files in a folder of their own and prohibit crawling with robot.txt, correct? I will be fine doing this? Thanks for the quick reply btw.

This will be the best information to create the "header.php" and "footer.php" with Doctype. But, you have to be aware of create the path files through in a particular one folder also be important.