http://www.fataldesigns.com/v4/ does not use a database, that was one of my first sites using php and simple includes.
http://www.fataldesings.com/md/ fully utilizes an Access2000 database
http://www.alanpowell.net/ fully utilizes MySQL database
Both those have the construct you're looking for, as in ?secion=mysection but also integrates database for data storage, retrieval, and organization.
The logic is really simple for the includes:
PHP Code:
if ($section == "home") {
include("scripts/home.php"); }
else if ($section == "news") {
include("scripts/news.php"); }
else if ($section == "somesection") {
include("scripts/somesection.php"); }
else { include("scripts/home.php"); }
if you always have file names same as the variable (Ex. $section variable has the same name as the file being include), you could just use:
PHP Code:
if (file_exists("scripts/$section.php")) include("scripts/$section.php");
else include("scripts/home.php");
All that does is the inclusion of certain scripts depending on the $section variable, all the database stuff is handled in the scripts its calling.
Hope that helps and if thats what you were lookin for