includes function in php

Perhaps some of you guys would be able to help me out?

I'm basically looking for a method to make the pages in a website I'm making dynamic with php..

someone suggested that I could create a template with two files called header.php and footer.php

and for each page of my website I can create it like such:

include 'header.php';
include 'page1.html';
include 'footer.php';

include 'header.php';
include 'page2.html';
include 'footer.php';

etc...etc...

However...if I am to do that how do I link to the various pages in my website?....Say a page in my website is located in /directory3/index.html ?? How would I go about linking to that?

Also...someone said I could use variables? - so that when section=this && page=this ----------you can do it like that too?

Could someone perhaps help me or direct me somewhere that I can get more information about how to use variables to streamline my dynamically generated pages in the site?

All your help would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
kh44na

two ways make a page called page1.php and insert

<?php
include 'header.php';
include 'page1.html';
include 'footer.php';
?>

the just link to www.yoursite.com/page1.php

or you could do it using the $_GET[''] array

make a single php page called whatever i will use blah.php for this example

input this code

<?php
$page = $_GET['page_name'];

include 'header.php';
include '$page';
include 'footer.php';
?>

then say you wanted page2.html to be displayed you would make the url

www.yoursite.com/blah.php?page_name="page1.html"

then which ever page you want to be loaded you just substitute instead of page1.html in the above link

ps ive only been using php a few weeks if there is a problem with this someone please let me know as i am still learning

jon

what if I wanted to add categories and subcategories and then pages within each subcategory...

how would I use that same concept you gave me in order to create something....like that?

so that if the variable...CATEGORY equals SECTION 1....and the SUBCATEGORY=subcategory1 and the page=page1.html

If that makes any sense.....how would I go about creating something like that?

you can add more variables ot the end of the link just seperatre them with an ampersand

eg www.mysite.com/blah.php?page="page1.html"&section="1"

these then beconme aprt of the $_GET[''] array with the representative names

eg $_GET['page'] = page1.html

$_GET['section'] = 1

you can then call these however you wish ion the apoge using these variables

jon