# Best way to build a website (ie: best way to maintain, edit, etc)



## ChunkyTeXas (Dec 14, 2002)

Hey guys, got a question.

I already know how to build websites using XHTML, CSS, PHP, ETC. but i was just wondering what are some important or popular tips to remember in building a website. I guess I should be more precise. What's the best way to prepare a website for users and the best possible way to maintain it?

I am building a community site, and although i doubt it will get more than 500 or so members, i just want to make sure it's built solid and can be maintained and edited properly. Also, what's the best way to make sure the database infustructure is solid and everything loads properly and i wont be using usage that i shouldnt have to?

Should I use CSS to maintian websites or should i just use includes and have 5 or 6 includes? Should I use a CMS? For some reason I feel like ill get the site up and it runs smoothly only for something to pop up a year later (ie: i should have added this section, or left something open to edit)...thats what i want to prepare for.


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## covert215 (Apr 22, 2006)

If you start out w/ a CMS and you familiarize yourself with its API, you can easily make modifications at later dates. They are very expandable.


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## thecoalman (Mar 6, 2006)

Besides using includes and external style sheets for everything You may want to consider using .png's instead of .gif or .jpg. The biggest advantage to .png is the alpha channel which is not supported in IE6 (there are some hacks) but it is suuported in IE7.

This solves one of the biggeest problems when designing a site which is matching images to the background. If you're like me you prefer to blend images even if it's a simple 2 px soft edge. This meant either setting the background of a .jpg to the same color as the background on the website or using gif. Transparent gif's still have to match the background around the edges....

I wouldn't go using it yet but if you have all your files named .png you can implement the alpha channel on new images in year or two when IE7 is widely distributed. In other words you won't have to go back and find every link to the images to chage them. Just change the files themselves.


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