Uploading a Web Page

Contents

• Introduction
• Using MyWeb (from LSWeb)
• Using Storage Manager (from UWeb)
• Using Dreamweaver
• Other Options

Introduction

"Uploading" a page is simply copying it from your computer to a web server where people will see it -- in this case, the LSWeb server. You do it using FTP ("File Transfer Protocol"), and in fact any FTP application will work; however, there are various front ends that can simplify the process.

If you've followed the steps in "Get a Website", you already have an account on UWeb or LSWeb; this account is simply a directory on their computer. Any HTML file you copy here will be accessible on the World Wide Web.

Before you upload, you should set up a folder system on your local computer that has the same directory structure as your website on the server will have; you'll be keeping a "local" (desktop) copy of the site, and as you modify it, copying it to the "remote" (server) site. Over time you'll probably be putting up several pages or mini-sites on your account; therefore it's a good idea to start each new project (even your first) in a new subfolder of your main website folder. LSWeb provides some pointers on directory structure for websites.

You'll also want a main page in the root directory which you can gradually expand to provide links to all your materials. That page should be called "index.htm" or "default.htm", since that is the first page a browser will find when it attempts to access your site.

However you upload, be careful with the capitalization of your filenames: most web servers, including LSWeb, are Unix machines which care about capitalization. It's best not to use any uppercase in file names for the Web.

Using MyWeb (LSWeb)

If you have an LSWeb account and you only have one or two files to upload, the easiest way to do it is to use "MyWeb", a web form provided by LSWeb which lets you manage your LSWeb account. You will initially see a login window, where you type your login (i.e. your account name) and your password (which you received in an e-mail when you set up your account).

After logging in, you will see information about your disk usage and some options for account management. Go to "File Manager".

The downside of this approach is that it can only operate on one file at a time.

Using Storage Manager (UWeb)

"Storage Manager" on UWeb is essentially the same as LSWeb's "File Manager". Log on to your account here, and click "Storage Manager" on the navigation bar on the left. Click the uweb folder to get to your web directory. The interface is almost the same as the LSWeb File Manager shown above, with slightly fewer options.

Using Dreamweaver

If you're using Dreamweaver, things are a bit simpler. Dreamweaver will handle keeping the two copies of the site in synch.

First, follow the instructions at LSIT's "Getting Started" page on Dreamweaver. The only tricky thing about this process is figuring out what to type in two dialog boxes -- "Local Info" and "Remote Info" under Dreamweaver's Sites | New Site menu command. I'm including screenshots of what my site definition looks like, which LSWeb users can use as a guide. You'll want to change "cumming" to your name wherever it appears; you'll probably also have a different local site name and root folder (this is where you store your site on your computer).

Dreamweaver lets you see both your local site and your remote site in a split-screen view; you can click a button to transfer files between them, or use the "synchronize" command to have Dreamweaver figure out what needs updating and transfer the files itself.

Other options

Any FTP application will transfer files to your web account, if you give it the password. LSWeb has instructions on one such program, WS_FTP (which we used to have around the department). UWeb users can find instructions here.

Another Windows approach involves using the "Web Publishing Wizard". Right-click the files you want to upload, choose "Send To", and choose "Web Publishing Wizard" (it's also in the Start menu under Accessories | Internet Tools). The first time you do this, you will need to provide the Wizard with the root URL of your website, e.g. "http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/cumming" or "http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~ken". The trouble with the Web Publishing Wizard is that it can only copy files to your website; it doesn't let you copy them back, or rearrange or delete the files on the server.

A somewhat more satisfactory approach involves using the Windows/Internet Explorer (they're really the same program at this point). This only works on recent versions; I'm not sure just how recent it has to be (having just figured this out myself). I'm using IE version 5.5. The illustration below is of Windows Explorer (which is more convenient for copying files), but you can do this in Internet Explorer too. The files listed in the right-hand pane are the files on my LSWeb account.

1. Type the address of the FTP server in the Address bar: "ftp://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu".
2. The first time you do this, you will need to log on; you'll be asked for your username and password. If you check the "remember my password" box, you only have to do this once.
3. After that the FTP site you're logged on to has become a branch on your directory tree, and you can move files by drag-and-drop as you would with any directory branch. The FTP branch will not stay there, however; you'll have to save the link (as a Favorite in Internet Explorer, or drag it as a shortcut from the address bar to your desktop) to get back without retyping the address.