How to properly embed a html conditional code in php - php

Question

I have a situation and I am struggling to embed 2 conditional html code sequences inside of a PHP file. I was thinking, of using include PHP function to call two separate external html files (section1.html and section2.html) in header.php like this:
<!-- Start Header -->
...
<?php
/* a conditional PHP code is required in order to load
the section1.html if the menu1** is shown on the page (?)*/
include('section1.html');
/* also here, a conditional PHP code is required in order
to load the section2.html if the menu2** is shown on the
page (?)*/
include('section2.html');
?>
...
<!-- End Header -->
Another approach using in between PHP tags:
<!-- Start Header -->
...
<?php if(condition){ ?>
<!-- HTML code of section1 here -->
/* above, a PHP (condition) that could load section1 if
the menu1** is shown on the page, should be defined (?) */
<?php } ?>
<?php if(condition){ ?>
<!-- HTML code of section2 here -->
/* above a PHP (condition) that could load section2 if
the menu2** is shown on the page, should be defined (?) */
<?php } ?>
...
<!-- End Header -->
If this helps, I can expose the html code sections, but I think that at this point it's not so important.
**the conditional PHP code should be related to the above mentioned menu1 and menu2 made in wordpress/appearance/menus section.
LE:
HTML sections are,
section1:
<nav>
<ul>
...
</ul>
<div id='menuRight'>
<div>
Home
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Portfolio
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
About
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
and section2:
<nav>
<ul>
...
</ul>
<div id='menuRight'>
<div>
Home
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Fiva
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Caterham
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Mobile
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
Any thoughts? Thank you,

Answer 1

Based on the menu1 and menu2 page links you included in your most recent comment, it looks like menu1 corresponds to your leaf pages and menu2 is your front page. If that's your intention then you could use the following conditional PHP.
<?php if (is_front_page()) : ?>
<nav>
<ul>
...
</ul>
<div id='menuRight'>
<div>
Home
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Portfolio
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
About
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
<?php else : ?>
<nav>
<ul>
...
</ul>
<div id='menuRight'>
<div>
Home
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Fiva
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Caterham
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Mobile
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
<?php endif; ?>
If you want to include the code using external files you'd have to save them as .php files instead of .html. You can use the exact same code in those .php files, but it's important to use the .php extension when you save them. Here is what the files would look like:
menu1.php
<nav>
<ul>
...
</ul>
<div id='menuRight'>
<div>
Home
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Fiva
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Caterham
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Mobile
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
menu2.php
<nav>
<ul>
...
</ul>
<div id='menuRight'>
<div>
Home
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
Portfolio
<img src='http://www.keenthemes.com/preview/metronic/theme/assets/global/plugins/jcrop/demos/demo_files/image1.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
<div>
About
<img src='http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31100000/random-space-space-31155586-598-398.jpg'>
</img>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
Then in your header.php file use this code:
<?php if (is_front_page()) : ?>
<?php include 'menu2.php'; ?>
<?php else : ?>
<?php include 'menu1.php'; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
It's important to make sure that the path to the menu1.php and menu2.php files are correct. My code above assumes that those two files are in the same directory as your header.php file.