loading external html into website again!

bubblebobble · 8 Oct 2011 at 11:45

Hi,

here is the scenerio.

I need to load an external html product catologue into a website.

I shall not use frames, iframes or wrappers(as in joomla).
I have tried jquery loading the site into a DIV but due to issues with cross domain security I cannot do this.

The catalogue is html and I can also have a csv feed.

Like I say I really do not want to use a frameset but I am struggling on how to implement the solution.
My only thoughts now are to have a landing page on each product area and the switch to framed browsing when the navigation pressed.

I am basically creating a frontend which needs good SEO (hence the landing page ideas )for the site, the backend is ALL handled on another domain.

Probably PHP is the way forward, or if anyone knows of a CMS capable of achieving this all the better.

sensible thoughts please.

bubblebobble · 9 Oct 2011 at 12:12

thanks staffy,

seems I have no real option, so here is my plan:

I shall import the csv into a database.
Menus and navigation will point to the database on the same domain.
When a display item is clicked, I will display the item in an iframe loading content from the external domain.
The Cart process etc can all be handled through the Iframe i.e. externally.

Gives me plenty of room then for special offers/bestsellers etc around the Iframe etc.

So any suggestions welcome

bubblebobble · 9 Oct 2011 at 13:47

Hidden iframes eh ?

Seems to be quite a common "ish" occurance to use this method, but wonder how it would handle any active content its spat out onto the page.

I am sure the initial reading and writing of the csv would work, however would the off site cart etc work? not sure it would as it will need to update off site and be displayed locally if you get my drift.

There has to be a simpler solution without hacks to display this csv catologue and incorporate the external domains content dynamically.

bubblebobble · 9 Oct 2011 at 22:10

Yes the rss feed is a good idea but not going to happen.

I use an Atom and RSS Extractor and Displayer script in a lot of sites to display the feed in a DIV in html, works a treat plus does away with an iframe.

thanks for the thread link, some good ideas there; using json and curl look possibilities.