Virtual includes can be used with ASP and PHP applications, but we’ll only look at the straight HTML
version here. If you desire more information about writing includes for another application, try using
Google to find that information. There are many good (free) tutorials on the Internet.One more thing you should know about virtual includes is that they only work with servers that
allow server side includes (SSI).This means that users coming from a server that does not allow SSI
will not be able to see your virtual includes. That will leave large holes in your site for them, and
in the case of navigation bars, it could make it difficult for them to navigate around your site.Even though this is a possibility, you may still decide to use virtual includes. If you do use them,
here’s how a navigation bar and a copyright notice might look on your page:<HTML>
<head>
Page Heading
</head>
<body>
<!--#include virtual=”navbar.inc”-->
The text of your web page goes here.
Remember that you want the text to be no
less than 250 words.
<!--#include virtual=”copyright notice.inc”-->
</body>
</HTML>If you do decide that virtual includes are the right choice for your site, use caution with them. Virtual
includes make a server work harder to serve information to site visitors, so make sure your server isn’t
overextended. If it is, the server will crash, bringing your site and everything else down with it.Using Redirect Pages
One more item you should be aware of is the effect of redirect pages on your search engine rankings.
The type of redirect that you use can affect how your site is treated by a search engine. One type of
redirect page is permanent, and another is temporary. The one you decide to use has serious impli-
cations for your site ranking.Three types of redirect pages are the most common ones used in designing web pages: 301 Redirect:The 301 redirect is a permanent redirect page. The page appears to users
as they are redirected from one web site to another or from one web page to another.
The original page that is no longer available will be removed within a few weeks when
301 redirects are used.175
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