|
 | Publishing Your Pages |
| Using One-Button Publishing |
| Publish Files dialog box |
- Choose File|Publish or click the Publish button on the
Composition toolbar. If you have specified default publishing preferences in the
Composer Preferences dialog, those settings appear in the Publish dialog.
- Select the "Files associated with this page" option to display all of the
image files in the current document (default). Then select any image files you want to
publish along with the document. Select the "All files in page's folder" option
to display all of the files (.HTML, .GIF, .JPG) in the current document's directory. Then
select the files you want to publish along with the document. This is a quick way to
publish an entire Web presentation that is made up of several HTML files. Note: If
a file on the remote server where you're publishing has the same file name as the one
you're uploading, it will be replaced with the new one without asking you to confirm the
action.
- Type the location of the remote site you want to publish your Web pages to. For
example, if you were using the FTP protocol, the
URL you entered in this box might look something like this:
ftp://ftp.chre.vt.edu/topfolder/myfolder/
- Type your user name in the appropriate space.
- Type the password for your user name in the appropriate space. Check "Save Password" to save your password information so you don't need
to retype it each time you publish your Web pages.
- Click OK to have Composer upload the files.
Publishing Your Pages
Once you have finished creating your Web page, or perhaps an entire Web presentation and tested it on your own system, you can publish it to a server. Right now your page exists on your local disk; you can browse your Web page, but no one else can. When you publish to a server, you're copying your Web pages (HTML files) to a Web server so that others can see what you've done.
What is a Web server?
A Web server is a program that runs all the time and waits for Web clients (such as Navigator) to connect to it and request data, usually a file. Servers and browsers communicate using the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a language created for transferring hypertext documents over the Web. Web servers are often called HTTPD servers.
Note: The "D" in HTTPD stands for daemon. A daemon is a UNIX term for a program that sits in the background and waits for requests. You don't have to be on UNIX for a program to behave like a daemon, so Web servers on any platform are still called HTTPD servers, or simply HTTP servers.
Ideally, you'll be able to publish your Web pages using the same organization that gives you access to the Internet. If you get access to the Internet through a commercial provider, that organization might offer Web space that you can use as well. Ask your system administrator if they offer Web server access.
Filename Conventions
Filenames have different conventions and restrictions depending on the platform. It's important to understand these distinctions before publishing your Web information, because you want your documents to be as portable between platforms as possible. If you are working with more than one platform, naming your files is very important.
For example, if you're moving your files to or from DOS-based systems, you'll need to follow the 8.3 rule, which means that file names must be only 8 characters long with a 3-character extension. Also, if you're moving files from a Macintosh to other systems, don't use spaces or other funny characters, use only letters and numbers and keep your file names under 8 characters.
Using One-Button Publishing
The one-button publishing feature in Composer makes publishing your Web pages quick and easy. You can select which files or directories you want to upload (publish) to a remote server. You can also specify the remote server site.
Once you've typed some locations here, in the future you can select from the list of remote locations you've established. Click Use Default Location to have the editor automatically enter the location you've specified in your Editor preferences.
Publish Files dialog box
Learn about each item on the Publish Files dialog box.
About the Publish Files dialog
Lets you select which files or directories you want to upload (publish) to a remote server. You can also specify the remote server site.
Page Title - The title of the page you are publishing. The title will appear at the top of the browser window.
HTML Filename - If you have already created and saved a page, this field is filled in. If not, enter a filename for the current page you want to publish. The filename must have an .htm or .html extension.
HTTP or FTP Location to publish to - Enter the location of the remote site where you want to publish your web page.
User name - The name you type when accessing the network your Web pages will be located on.
Password - The password for your user name.
Save Password - Saves your password information so that you only need to type it in the box once instead of each time you publish your Web pages.
Files associated with this page - Click to display all of the files referenced by the current document. Then select the files you want to publish along with the document. Click Select None or Select All to quickly select and deselect files in the list.
All files in page's folder - Click to display all of the files in the current page's directory. Then select the files you want to publish along with the page. Click Select None or Select All to quickly select and deselect files in the list.
Warning: If a file on the remote server you're publishing to has the same filename as one you're uploading, the newly uploaded file will replace the existing one. You will not be asked to confirm the action.