Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

[navaldesign]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

I beleive that this would be a problem that has nothing to do with the method described. It is either a computer problem, or how you have saved the template (or what you have given in the name field when saving as template).

[hometreasurecove]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Thanks guys!

Yes, they are BV buttons. I saved my template by clicking file, save as template, and naming it. But when I try to open a new page with a template, instead of the template library poping up, I get an error message that says:
C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\BlueVoda\Templates\***template1.wwb has a bad format.

I used some shapes, a couple of images, background color, menubar, and some text at the bottom to create the template. I changed the file extension to php, and added the code as you said to do in your instructions. Have I dove something wrong?

[Bethers]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Michelle,
Look here - this uses a CSS menubar also -

I highly recommend this method - with or without the CSS mnubar.

If you use the BV buttons, they are readable by se's the way they are done - it isn't javascript like you're used to that isn't - that you can see here - but this isn't using the php method cuz I didn't know it yet.

Highly, highly recommend you follow this method!

[navaldesign]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Yes, you can.

Buttons with text: you mean the standard BV menubar ? If yes, then Yes, they are "seen" by SE. But the best would be a CSS text based menubar as you can see it here

[hometreasurecove]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Can you use this trick if you're creating a template with a menubar? Also, if you use buttons with text on them in your menubar, can the search engines spider them?

[navaldesign]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

You can hold your drop down and ad a text menu at the bottom of the page with your links. SE will spider those.

[TimeIsMoney]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Hi Navaldesign,
Thanks for your reply. Not what I wanted to hear, but at least it confirms what I thought to be the case. A pity!

I will have to s**** the BV drop down menu I put together for my website which I was quite happy with and consier the BV Menu Bar. Because if the drop down menu bar is not able to be spidered then my website will not be able to ranked by the search engines and without a reasonable ranking in effect will not be of much use to me.

Thanks again for your help.

[navaldesign]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

CSS or normal BV menubars can be spidered. Drop downs CANNOT be spidered. However, if your website is going to have 60 or 100 pages, beleive me, you will not want to update the menus in each page separately.

[TimeIsMoney]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Hi,

How are you all. I am a newbie and would appreciate your patience.I know this thread is a bit old, and am not sure if I am supposed to add to it or not, but I am not sure where else to post my question.

I am trying to understand the post in this thread when it comes to the BV drop down menu and the ability of the search engines to spider them. I have highlited the text below from this tread in blue:

Today i have had a very important confirmation: Google has indexed my example page, and the page in the cache is in http://72.14.221.104/search?q=cache:fEg83WMeBfwJ:www.navaldesign.info/Tips/phpmenu.php+site:www.navaldesign.info+navaldesign& hl=it&gl=gr&ct=clnk&cd=50


The text only version of the cache is in http://72.14.221.104/search?q=cache:fEg83WMeBfwJ:www.navaldesign.info/Tips/phpmenu.php+site:www.navaldesign.info+navaldesign& hl=it&lr=&strip=1

As you can see, in the text only version of the cache, Google HAS INCLUDED THE LINKS of the example menu. What does this mean ?

It means that a menubar, either made in BV (as the one i have used in my exaple) or through a text based CSS styled enu, even if included in the page from an external source (as in the example), can be spidered by SE. So, ALL of your links will be found and spidered.

So, if your menubar is text based CSS or BV's menu bar, it is perfectly ok for SE. ATTENTION: This is not valid for dropdown menus: they CANNOT be spidered. If you need to use a dropdown for functional reasons, i advise to include in your pages also a text based footer menu (like the one VH has in it's own pages, at the bottom.

Am I correct to understand that the BV drop down menue cannot be spidered by search engines period, or am I correct to understand that the drop down menue cannot be spidered by search engines only after a single menue page has been created with BV and PHP.

I want to use a dropd down menue but do not have to go the way of the single page with BV and PHP. I do not mind placing a menu on each page and updating each menu on each page when I have to do so, but I do not want to be disadvantaged in making use of a drop down menue. If that is the case I will use the BV menu bar.

Thanks for your kind help.

[Collectors-info]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Hi Naval,
I think it was just a case that it all seems to be working ok, doing it this way, so i just placed them tight in the top corner.
The way I set my pages up means that I dint have to try and get the html box in the right position & keep uploading to the server to check they are in line & matching up with the rest of the page. (This can be a pain with narrow boarder lines) So if an html box gets moved, I just push it to the top corner & I know the page will be back to normal. I will be making quite a few styles of these templates, so needed a simple way to adjust things quickly. & for others to do the same.
I don’t think its doing any harm??? (Hope not)
The only part I can’t sort out is the contact us drop down menu going behind the flash photo album. I think flash is going to rule & win this one.

Cheers.
PS. The only thing I do check on, is make sure the menu is brought to the front.

[navaldesign]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Cool Template. However Chris, why don't you give the html boxes the actual size and position of the element that they are calling ?

[Collectors-info]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Hi Beth, don’t think this is quite right. If you look at the image below, this is how I set up all my pages up. I was going to put a post up about it & how to do it. But if you could let me know why not to do it this way it could save me a bit of embarrassment. lol
I have worked a simple way to place as many php/html elements on the page without having to line one a thing up & have them all perfect.
Have a look at this link below & you can see what I am working on. All these pages where made this way & have at least 3 to 4 html boxes on each page.

http://www.webbiesite.com/templates/redtemplate/

Hah! I shrunk my image to much. Oh well. You will get the idea.

[Bethers]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Your html boxes should be the size of what they are doing - and if anything you're putting in them needs to be a link - you need to make it one by using the proper html - not putting it under the box.

As Naval said, no html box should be covering another one - or anything else for that matter.

[navaldesign]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

Sorry! I meant to say about bringing to the front. Just on another little note: can the html boxes be made transparent (I think is the right phrase) to enable clicking on links underneath. Sometimes will end up with 4-5 html boxes & some will cover links in others.

Thanks.

???? I make my html boxes the same size of the element they need to insert in the page, so they don't cover anything else. Or maybe i have missread your post ?

[Collectors-info]

Re: Single Menu Page with Bv and PHP

I have read that post also, but i (technically) disagree. Browsers read the code as it is created, and the code that BV creates places elements in the order they are created (unless you use the "bring infront" tool).

Sorry! I meant to say about bringing to the front. Just on another little note: can the html boxes be made transparent (I think is the right phrase) to enable clicking on links underneath. Sometimes will end up with 4-5 html boxes & some will cover links in others.

Thanks.