Fix Contact Page: Header & Footer Loading

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Fixing the Contact Page: Ensuring Header and Footer Load Correctly

Hey guys! Let's dive into a common web development issue: making sure our contact page on the PeopleMerit AI Platform loads its header and footer properly. Specifically, we're focusing on the contact page where we've seen some hiccups. The goal? To fix the contact page so that the header and footer load correctly.

The Problem: Missing Header, Duplicate Forms, and MOSA Compliance

So, what's the deal? The current contact page is showing an empty header and, worse, a duplicated sign-in/sign-up form. This isn't just a cosmetic issue; it's a breakdown in how we're supposed to build things. This is because the layout loader, which is supposed to grab the shared header and footer, is failing. This breaks the MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approach) principles, which are super important for keeping our code clean, reusable, and maintainable. The current contact.html uses data-layout-auto-init with layout-loader.js. However, the paths for our assets and partials are relative. This can cause some serious problems in production when the page is accessed via /contact/ (with a trailing slash). The loader then can't find /shared/header.html and /shared/footer.html, and you end up with that sign-in modal showing up inline, which is not what we want.

MOSA is a big deal in our world because it ensures that header and footer components are loaded from one central source and reused across the entire website. Think of it like this: if every page had its own version of the header and footer, we'd be constantly updating multiple files every time we wanted to change something. It's a nightmare! MOSA helps us avoid this by using shared components, making updates a breeze. When the loader fails, as it does now, the page becomes a mess. You get duplicate UI elements and a navigation system that doesn’t work right. It's not a good look, and it impacts user experience, which is never a good thing. The layout loader documentation is pretty clear: pages should either auto-initialize or call LayoutLoader.init(). The header and footer partials live in a common directory, and we need to make sure those paths are correct.

The Solution: Root-Relative Paths and Correct Partial Paths

To fix this, we need to make some key changes. First things first, we'll add a <base href="/"> tag in the <head> of our contact.html file. This is crucial because it tells the browser to treat all relative URLs (CSS, JavaScript, images, the header/footer fetch paths) as if they start from the site's root directory. Next, we need to convert all asset references to root-relative paths. That means adding a leading slash (/) to all CSS and JavaScript imports in contact.html. We'll make sure that all the static assets load correctly, no matter whether the page URL ends with .html or has a trailing slash. We will then check the header and footer partial paths in layout-loader.js. The loader currently fetches /shared/header.html and /shared/footer.html. We'll need to confirm that these files exist in the production environment. If they're not there, we'll need to update the constants or add a fallback to /partials/. The loader should match the documentation, which recommends fetching from /partials/header.html. If the paths are incorrect, the fetch will fail, and the header and footer will not render correctly. We will also test our changes in both development and staging environments. We will serve contact.html from both /contact.html and /contact/ paths and verify that the header and footer are correctly injected. We'll also need to make sure the “Quick Actions” menu collapses into the hamburger menu and that the sign-in/sign-up modals remain hidden until called. Finally, we'll check that dark mode, language selection, and TTS toggles work as expected. And, of course, we'll use the browser console's network tab to ensure that /shared/header.html and /shared/footer.html return a 200 OK status, meaning everything is loading as it should!

Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing the Contact Page

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to get this done.

Step 1: Add the <base> Tag

First, inside the <head> section of contact.html, right after the <meta> tags, insert the following line:

<base href="/">

This single line of code is your best friend when it comes to resolving relative URLs. It sets the base URL for all relative URLs in the document, which means your assets and partials will always be fetched from the root of your site.

Step 2: Convert Asset References

Next, you'll need to update your asset references to use root-relative paths. Here's how to do it:

  1. CSS: Change the href attributes in your <link> tags for CSS files to start with a forward slash. For example:
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/css/theme-variables.css">
  2. JavaScript: Similarly, update the src attributes in your <script> tags for JavaScript files:
    <script src="/assets/js/layout-loader.js"></script>

Make sure you do this for all CSS, JavaScript, image, and any other asset paths used in contact.html.

Step 3: Verify Header/Footer Paths in layout-loader.js

Open layout-loader.js and locate the code that specifies the header and footer partial paths. For example:

const headerPath = '/shared/header.html';
const footerPath = '/shared/footer.html';

Double-check that these paths are correct. Ensure that the files header.html and footer.html are located in the /shared/ directory on your server. If they are not in /shared/, update the paths in layout-loader.js accordingly (e.g., /partials/header.html if the files are in the /partials/ directory). If you’re unsure, it’s a good practice to add a fallback to /partials/ if the files are not found in /shared/.

Step 4: Testing in Development and Staging

This is where you make sure everything works like it should.

  1. Serve from Different Paths: Serve contact.html from both /contact.html and /contact/ in your development and staging environments. This tests both scenarios and ensures that the paths work correctly with and without trailing slashes.
  2. Verify Header and Footer: Check that the header and footer are correctly injected on both paths. Look for the correct UI elements, the navigation menu, and the absence of duplicate sign-in forms.
  3. Check Functionality: Ensure that the “Quick Actions” menu collapses into the hamburger menu and that the sign-in/sign-up modals remain hidden until invoked. Test all interactive elements.
  4. Dark Mode, Language, and TTS: Test the dark mode, language selection, and TTS (Text-to-Speech) toggles to make sure they're working and persisting user preferences.
  5. Console and Network Tab: Open your browser's developer tools (usually by right-clicking and selecting