How to include alpha variables in meta data?

[richardurban]

I want to include user entered fields in the meta data of an a5w page, like this.
I have this code in the head section:

<%a5
Dim cn as sql::connection 
flag = cn.open("::Name::urbangrocery")
dim sqlCommand as c
sqlCommand = "select * from webpages where recordid='1'"
flag = cn.execute(sqlCommand)
dim rs1 as sql::ResultSet
rs1 = cn.ResultSet
CK_main=rs1.data("content")
metatitle=rs1.data("metatitle")
metadescription=rs1.data("metadescription")
cn.close()
%>
<title><%A5?metatitle%></title>
<meta content="<%A5?metadescription%>" name="description">

However, the title and meta content do not show up when the page is published and retrieved from the browser (I am viewing the page with Firebug). The title and meta content seem to need to be at the top above the code section. But, if so, how do I refer to the data fields?

[TheSmitchell]

Re: How to include alpha variables in meta data?

Try printing the whole meta tag instead.

<%a5 
    ? "<meta content=\"" + metadescription + "\" name=\"description\">"
%>

[Steve Wood]

Re: How to include alpha variables in meta data?

Same as Sarah said, but I have had these lines in all apps since A5V7:

<%A5
?"<link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\" href=\"css/theme/"+wt_setup("css_theme") + "/framework.css\">" + crlf()
?"<meta name=\"keywords\" content=\"" + wt_setup("meta_keywords") + ", " + wt_page("Meta_keywords")+"\">" + crlf()
?"<meta name=\"description\" content=\"" + wt_setup("meta_description") + " " + wt_page("Meta_description")+"\">" + crlf()
%>

The wt_setup() just inserts plain text from a defaults table, and the wt_page() inserts additional meta data from a table that has one record per page. So I end up with boilerplate meta data on every page, plus meta data customized for each page.

[richardurban]

Re: How to include alpha variables in meta data?

Thanks Sarah and Steve, printing the whole meta tag worked. I did have trouble with the title not showing, but that was because I had includes that also had a title section (and other meta tags). If you have includes, remove the meta tags and title if the page you are putting it on already has those; and remove all the body and head tags, as they are not needed.
By the way, is it considered best practice to put the alpha five code block where you retrieve data in the head first, or put the meta tags (that do not use data) first, or does it not make any difference?
By the way, I was reading that the keywords meta tag is no longer recommended, as search engines no longer use it.

[Steve Wood]

Re: How to include alpha variables in meta data?

You should not include (using "a5w_include()") whole A5W pages inside other whole pages. You duplicate all of the HTML tags like head, title, etc. I use lots of includes but never duplicate any of those tags.

EDIT: Hey - just noticed this is my 8000th post!

[richardurban]

Re: How to include alpha variables in meta data?

That is a lot of posts, and a lucky number, too!
For includes, then, I guess if there is code and then html, Alpha knows to put it in the right place without head or body tags, right?

I will answer that myself, if the include has html code, put it in the correct place in the body of your page; Alpha five will take care of the code part.

[Steve Wood]

Re: How to include alpha variables in meta data?

No, Alpha doesn't know anything. It just includes your A5W page wherever you insert it. The HTML below is an example of how I break includes into proper HTML tags. Notice below I have one included page specific to the HEAD and two included pages specific to the BODY section.

So, I have broken my included page into two sections, one for the HEAD and one for the BODY.

I should say that even though I think this is required, lots of people successfully include whole A5W pages inside other ones without any concern or problem. I just happen to like my deployed A5W pages to be pure, with only one set of HTML tags. The main problem I saw was with javascript not knowing which HEAD area to look at for its function reference.

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>

<%a5 a5w_include("inc_header_head.a5w") %>

</head>
<body>

<div id="wrapper">

<%A5 a5w_include("inc_header_body.a5w") %>
<div id="content">

content here...

</div><!-- content -->

<%A5 a5w_include("inc_footer_body.a5w") %>

</div><!-- wrapper -->
</body></html>