Include file woes!

[Webeauty]

I am trying to use include files to include the code for a menu that goes across the top of each page. The page looks fine when I open it (haven't uploaded yet). But when I click to any page using the menu, it goes all wierd like it isn't seeing the include file. Is there any reason for this? How can I fix it?
Thanks!

[HTML]

can you post the url please.

Dave

[Webeauty]

Dave,
I have the pages online without includes, since I don't have them working yet. It's http://www.manhattanloft.com
What I'm doing is just cutting the header code out with all the scripts etc. and making that one include, then the menu bar is another include, and the drop down menu info at the bottom is another include. So far I've done the header include on all my pages and am having the above problem. If you want me to post examples in another place I can.

[HTML]

Dave,
I have the pages online without includes, since I don't have them working yet. It's http://www.manhattanloft.com
What I'm doing is just cutting the header code out with all the scripts etc. and making that one include, then the menu bar is another include, and the drop down menu info at the bottom is another include. So far I've done the header include on all my pages and am having the above problem. If you want me to post examples in another place I can.

please do post the url of a page with includes so we can see exactly your code and what is happening.

Dave

[Webeauty]

ok, I'll have them up in just a minute. Thanks for taking the time to help!

[Webeauty]

OK, I uploaded a handful of pages and they seem to be working. It's wierd cuz locally, I was having that problem I described. I want to be confident that they will work before I upload them all into the main folder. Can you take a look anyway? http://www.manhattanloft.com/testing The pages I uploaded are About Us and Chairs, under livingroom.

[Webeauty]

While you are looking at this, I would really like your opinion on this: for search engine purposes should I change the drop downs on the menu to text? If they are include files will the search engine see them? How would you go about this? My client relies very heavily on search engines for traffic.

[coreybryant]

When you say locally, - do you have your local machine set up to allow includes? That seems to possible be the case because I use ASP includes & I do not see the included content locally until I have uploaded it to the server.

[Webeauty]

Good point! But I do see the includes fine when I open the file locally and preview it in browser. It's when I click on the menu to another file that it gets all barfy. Maybe the code is just fine...i don't know. How do I check this setting?

[coreybryant]

Well I looked at the coding & since it was javascript inludes that might be the case. When you saw it goes all weird - is it just the images not showing up? That might be because you are using virtual paths. Do you have different folders for the products etc? What link can we click on under the test to see it work or not work? I tried to click on a couple but there were no other pages loaded.

[Webeauty]

sorry, above I mentioned it. I loaded the About Us page and CHAIRS page under the livingroom category. Thanks for your help!

[Webeauty]

Crap! I uploaded the files and the product pages are showing errors. Please take a look at http://manhattanloft.com then click on CHAIRS or SOFABEDS. If you click on a thumbnail to go to a product page, the page is messed up. ????

[HTML]

Looks as though you have already removed the test page so I cannot be of help there. I see no problems, but when you say "messed up" I may not be seeing what you intended.

dropdown menus, for search engines you would do better without. Remember javascript is a client side script and spiders will not read the majority of JS.

Dave

[coreybryant]

Sorry I never received any more e-mails on the reply.

I am using IE 6.0 - and I see no problems as well with the menu. It seems to be functioning properly.

[Webeauty]

OK, I actually got it all working ok. I took the test pages out and just put everything in the main folder. For some reason it would only work if I put the includes in the same folder. It didn't like the "../" thing.

Thanks for the info about the menus. I didn't realize that the search engine wouldn't see those. Will all that javascript detract at all or is it just basically invisible to the search engines? I guess we'll have to do extra well on the actual content.

Thanks.