Site design - changing all pages in one go?!

I suppose it's probably about time I got my arse in gear and stopped making more work for myself by making sites that don't require all pages changing for them to have things added etc.

So for example, if I wanted to add an extra few options to say a menu that goes on every page or change something else that is constant on every page what/how do I need to design the sites.

Would Style Sheets allow me to do this, or is there someother way I should be looking at doing it?

Any pointers/useful sites etc on what people recommend would also not be frowned upon

Cheers
Wardy

I tend to use PHP and define bits like menus as a separate HTML file and then have the PHP include them.

Then all I have to do is change my menu HTML file and the change works automatically for all the pages concerned.

That's what i do too.

I use SSIs for that type of thing.

Do a search for SSI tutorial or XSSI (extended SSIs).

If you don't use PHP...

If you are using or have access to DREAMWEAVER use the library feature, it is very powerful and you can update a section one every page with just one click, ideal for plain html sites. But you will still have to upload your whole site for each update.

... You don't have to use Library elements with Dreamweaver.
I use Dreamweaver templates, and can update my site
just be editing a single template

You still have to FTP all of your site in this case, so
it's also good to use SSI for common elements.

Steve

grr. tried to include a javascript sample but it didn't like it. What I said was... put the menu in an external .js file using document.write and you can call it on any page you want it on.

Here's a tutorial on it: www.web-source.net/dynami...update.htm

includes are the way forward.

If ou're just using html then you can do SSI in dreamweaver.

If you're using php, asp, java etc then you can look up how to do includes with that.