Dynamic List Display Options

[Tracy134]

I maintain a very simple website for my church. I want to add a new page but I'm not sure how to approach it. I've stretched into the recesses of my memory from a web course I took many years ago and have been poking around online re: some things I vaguely remembered like xml, dtds, etc… I'm sure there is a wealth of information online but I'm at the stage of not quite knowing enough, at present, to know how to ask the right questions. I haven't been able to find any kindergarten-level examples yet, which is what I need given my current level of web knowledge.

Here's a description of what I want to do:

I have a series of URLs that can be classified by N attributes. I want to be able to specify the classification once and then display it sorted as a list by the N attributes in any order. Here I created some fictitious data that has classifications of interest for each URL (sample data.doc) and is displayed in the possible sort orders (sample.doc pages 1 and 2). Here for classifications, n=2, location and category; each URL can belong to 1 city but many categories. Right now n=2 but theoretically it could be 3,4 (a small, but unknown, # at present).

Ideally the user would select the display order ad-hoc (in this case location/category or category/location) on a single page and the info would display below, but if this is complicated I would be satisfied to provide one static html page per possible pre-defined sort order, since I don't anticipate more than 2-4 sub-categories.

I have books on Javascript and XML. I've looked through them, but they don't have many examples. I would appreciate advice. A simple code example to point me in the right direction would be ideal.

Many thanks.

[Darin McGrew]

It sounds like you need some sort of database-driven system. See Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing, especially the chapters on "Sites that are really programs" and "Sites that are really databases".