[thelist] How to implement static page generator?

[Lachlan Cannon]

Hi all,

I'm planning on writing my own blog script in php, which I
want to generate static pages (less load on server - it
probably doesn't matter, but I want it to be cleaner for
the point of it being cleaner). Basically, I want the admin
program to generate the html pages, and write it out, and
retire them into an archives folder once the month is over.
However I'm facing a few problems planning how it will
work.

If I change, for instance, my menu structure so it has one
extra link in it, how will I be able to get my program to
regenerate all the static files? (entry info will be stored
in a db, btw). Also - after I do the blog, I'm planning on
having other parts of the site which I'll want to do the
same thing with. The trouble is, since they'll be quite
different, they'll use different scripts to generate the
pages. How could I implement some way of doing the first
one, so that when I want to make a change to the template
structure I can have it automatically regenerate all the
pages?

Any ideas?

P.S. (I know systems are already round for blogging and
this type of thing. I want to reinvent the wheel for the
purpose of teaching myself, so please no replies telling me
I should be using xyz blog software).

TIA

Lach

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"Have you ever attempted to be yourself, when everybody wants you to be someone else." - Powderfinger's Up & Down & Back Again
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