id refers to the "page-number" in Typo3, the "uid" field of the pages-table. Indicates which page to show.

type indicates for a page, which "part" of the page to show. This is primarily used when you make framebased sites. You could use it for other things also. I'll not explain frameset here, but direct you to Tutorial 3, "Frames with Typo3". But I will give you a hint on how the "type" parameter of the URL is used:

Consider the testsite:

id=10 ("index.php?10") brings up this page. "type" is not defined, but is by default zero, so this is the same:

Try to change the value of type

&type=1

&type=2

&type=3

As you can see a type-value of 3 results in a non-configured page. Makes sense, because looking at the TypoScript in the template, we realize that "typeNum=3" is not defined.

But how does the template look anyway. Peeking in the Template Analyzer:

As you see the template includes a lot of static_template records and the first of them seems to be a static_template with a frameset in.

Taking a look at this static_template, we see this:

3 page-objects are defined, "page", "left" and "frameset". Each PAGE-object defines how the output will look based on the "&type"-value.