Keys To Success
Once installed, using HTML Master Pages doesn't require any computer programming skills apart from a rudimentary competency with HTML. Merging documents only requires creating a feasible combination of the following standard tags with special attribute values in two or more complete HTML documents (at least one Master Page and at least one other resource document that assigns it as such):
- In your static or generated Master Page document(s):
- At least one
SSI-Container
DIV
tag (with or without default content) in the
BODY
tag of your Master Page document that is specially
identified so that HTML Master Pages knows it is a
content placeholder:
<div title="SSI-Container" id="your-unique-placeholder-identifier">DEFAULT CONTENT, IF ANY, GOES HERE</div>
- At least one
SSI-Container
DIV
tag (with or without default content) in the
BODY
tag of your Master Page document that is specially
identified so that HTML Master Pages knows it is a
content placeholder:
- In each dependent (static or generated) resource
document(s):
- Exactly one
SSI-Filler DIV
tag for each matching SSI-Container DIV tag with
replacement content in the BODY of each resource
document that is specially identified so that HTML
Master Pages knows into which Master Page
SSI-Container placeholder to put your content:
<div title="SSI-Filler" id="your-unique-placeholder-identifier">DESIRED CONTENT GOES HERE</div> - A single
SSI-Template
META
element in the
HEAD
tag which indicates what other file is the Master
Page for the resource document; this can be used in
Master Pages to
chain
Master Pages:
<meta name="SSI-Template" content="/path/to/master-template.html">
- Exactly one
SSI-Filler DIV
tag for each matching SSI-Container DIV tag with
replacement content in the BODY of each resource
document that is specially identified so that HTML
Master Pages knows into which Master Page
SSI-Container placeholder to put your content:
That's all there is to it!
Well, not really, but that is the short version. Reference information about each directive is available at the respective page for that directive (just click on each directive name above). Continue reading for the exhaustively detailed specifications for each of these key directives, or skip ahead to learn about exactly what happens whenever HTML Master Pages merges the HEAD and merges the BODY tags of your resource documents with their Master Pages.