RE: How to include HTML code from an external file

You are correct.

SSIs, by definition, works on *nix servers.  However, there are equivalent 
approaches by using Active Server Pages (ASP), Cold Fusion, PHP to achieve 
the same results.  There may be others, but these stand out in my brain as 
a matter of course.

<.rant=on>
The limiting factors include:

1)  Your current server and its current capabilities
2)  Your personal skill base, and your ability to expand that skill base to 
meet changing (external) needs
3)  Potential constraints in place by your employer and/or client

I'm sure there may be other factors based upon your circle of life, but 
these, too, come to mind at the top of the heap.

There used to be another limiting factors, based upon limited 
resources.  By that I mean you are stuck with the cards already dealt.  For 
example, your employer runs a Microsoft shop, and only Microsoft.  That 
used to mean you were restricted to Uncle Billy's toybox.  Not anymore 
since all of the above (I believe) are ported to M$ servers.  The same goes 
for ASP which is now ported to non-M$ servers.

Another one of these was money.  Nowadays, there are considerable open 
source (and stable)  alternatives, with considerable support networks.  On 
top of that, many of the "fringe" areas are effectively mainstream.  (The 
classic example is Linux.  The "techy" community embraced it long ago, but 
now that IBM, Oracle, and other heavyweights have ported applications to 
Linux, one can build a fully supported web system with effectively free web 
tools.)

What really stands in the way are "excuses," most often stated by those 
lacking the knowledge, fortitude (read that as guts) and common sense to 
embrace the technology and run with it.  Money is no longer a reason.  It's 
an excuse.   Limited web hosting is no longer a reason.  It's an 
excuse.  Limited support is no longer a reason.  It's an excuse.  It really 
makes no difference these days.  If you are constrained (by "real" 
circumstances beyond your control) there is wide latitude where can 
maneuver, if you bother to look.  Stuck with M$ servers?  The run ASP 
because it's native to M$.  The monetary cost is zip.  Stuck with a *nix 
server?  You already have SSIs, but you can install PHP for free, even 
pseudo-ASP at minimal (free?) cost.

Look at the issues purely from a technical point of view.  You have many 
options, regardless of the platform.   Now look at the non-technical 
issues.  Are these justifiable reasons not to go down a particular 
path?  Or are they really excuses?  And if they are excuses, who is pushing 
them?  I bet they are not technically-driven but personality-driven.  Of 
course, the hardware/software doesn't give a rat's behind who administers 
it, but we all have to deal with people, many of them superiors and/or 
ego-types who have "all" the answers, but just don't have the correct 
questions.  :)

Yet, at the end of the day, money may be the ultimate limiting factor.  By 
that I mean licensing and support costs.  With one major software 
manufacturer changing their licensing requirements (meaning you will pay 
*big* money as time goes on), this may be the straw breaking the camel's 
back for many.  Others will realize their support costs, most often from 
constant patches, re-patches, etc., no longer worth the effort, especially 
when there are similar, if not better alternatives, with much fewer 
headaches.  But I digress.  :)
<./rant=off>


Look at your server and its software.  You can do SSIs, or its equivalent, 
with relative ease.


Kukla


At 06:54 PM 1/16/02 -0500, Katherine Pollara wrote:
>what if you;re not on a UNIX server? Isn't SSI done only in UNIX?
>Kate Pollara


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