Question: Navigation Set-Up

How to set up my navigation system

[chappy1974]

OK, here's the comment and question...

I'm going to be building a school website...the typical pages, sports, clubs, courses, teachers, students, parents...

Hoping to use the "holy grail" with CSS

***************
...Banner and N1...
***************
....*............*....
....*............*....
....*............*....
N2.*.Content*.N3.
....*............*....
....*............*....
***************
..Footer (maybe)...
***************

N1 - horizontal (main links)
N2 - subgroup of links based on N1 choice
N3 - graphical links for highlights of site

I have a decent layout using CSS, but my question is about linking
and navigation. Will every single HTML page have the CSS layout in it? Or should it work like a frameset, where a choice from N1 dynamically changes N2, and a choice from N2 dynamically changes the content? I have decent CSS skills, html and javascript skills, but am not sure whether to build every single page with "hardcoded" navigations, or what?

Thanks!

Ed

[g1smd]

Don't put the CSS in the page itself. Put it in an external file and link to that from every page instead.

Try to use bread-crumb navigation to get around the site. Bots like that as well as visitors do.

Make sure that every page of the site links back to www.domain.com/ in exactly that format.

When you link to index pages always omit the index file filename from the link. End the link with just the trailing / on the URL.

[wolfadeus]

And keep the navigation crisp and clear, don't add too many side-bars and alike.

By the way, what is a "bread-crumb navigation"?

[miki99]

I had to look up "breadcrumb" navigation recently too.

I think it basically refers to the kind of navigation you find at the top of this page:

Home / Forums Index / The Webmaster World / New To Web Development

...The idea being that the visitor can always easily tell exactly where they are on the site.

[miki99]

And I think you're right too, Wolfadeus -- I'm presently trying to simplify the navigation in my store, after getting a little too carried away.

[wolfadeus]

Ah, that's what it is...right, I perfectly agree then: breadcrumb navigations are great. Otherwise: 3 levels should do the job for most sites, then the navigation itself can remain surprisingly simple.

Good luck! W.