Lesson 2 - Are We There Yet?
To have a working web site in this course, the overall steps to be done
are:
- Create the web pages on your computer.
- Create a home for your web pages on a server.
- Copy your web page files from your computer to the server.
There are several ways to do each of the 3 steps. You could start
creating your web pages today if you have your HTML editor. The
official HTML editor for this class will be the software that the Corvallis
School District has a site license for - currently Microsoft FrontPage. If you
don't have an HTML editor available to you, you need to get one as soon as
possible. Newer versions of Netscape include a basic HTML editor - Composer.
To start Composer, while using Netscape, click 'Window', then 'Composer'.
You can also download 'freeware' HTML editors. Try
www.tucows.com. On the main page
at Tucows, find the 'Search Software Library' box, type in 'HTML editor',
and look for a highly rated 'freeware' download.
These 'freeware' HTML editors can be used for this course, but are NOT recommended.
Use them at your own risk.
Getting a Web Server
Setting up space on a server for your web site may or may not be done by
the time you read this. If your client is someone in the Corvallis
School District, your server space may already be there and ready to go.
If your client is outside of the Corvallis School District, we need to make
sure that the arrangements have been made. Contact the instructor if
you are unsure about having web space.
Copying Your Files to the Server
Copying your files to the web server is often called 'publishing'.
When a writer is preparing a book, it can go through many drafts. But
when the book is printed and sold (published), there is no more control over
it's content - what is printed is printed.
Publishing a web site is similar. You work on draft versions on
your own computer. When you publish your web pages to the server,
ANYONE with Internet access can view them. But unlike printed books,
you can replace or remove the published pages whenever you like!
HOW you publish your web pages will depend on which HTML editor software
you use. Higher end software includes the publishing ability within the
software. Free or simpler HTML editors may require that you 'FTP' the files to
your web server. 'FTP' means File Transfer Protocol, a method of
copying files from one computer to another. If you are
using a program that needs to use FTP, contact the instructor.
No matter which method you use to copy your files, you'll need the web
name of the server, plus a username and a password. If you have not
been told these by the second week of class, contact your instructor.
It Will (Might) Get Better
If you are building your web site on a private computer and are using one
of the major HTML editors, your computer can be told to remember your
server's name, your username, and your password. Then whenever you
want to publish your web site, it can be started with a single mouse click.
It will be as easy as 'Saving' a file. On public computers (including
school computers), rules for publishing will vary.
 Your
instructor (while teaching this class!) |
