WEB DESIGN SKILLS

Module Study Guide
2008/09

Uploading to a web server

Uploading to zappa using Dreamweaver

Whilst using Dreamweaver you should have been defining a site at the beginning of each session. If you were using your own computer, it would remember the site you defined, and you wouldn't have to redefine it each session, but on a public computer you have to.

If you want to upload your pages to our web server, which is called 'zappa', you have to enter some remote info as well as the local info you have been entering up to now.

The screenshot below shows the information you need to include:

Access: select 'FTP'

FTP Host: enter 'zappa.tvu.ac.uk'

Host Directory: enter 'sites/'

Login: enter your zappa login, provided by your tutor.

Password: your password should also be supplied by your tutor.

Now you have told Dreamweaver where your local files are and where your remote files are going to be.

You can see your local and remote files by going to the 'Files' window and clicking on the 'expand/collapse' button. Then you should see something like this:

The left-hand panel shows the remote (server) files; the right-hand panel shows the local files. Connect to the remote server by using the button. (It is at this point that an error message will appear if your connection details are incorrect. Check the entries in the 'remote info' dialogue box; if they appear to be correct you may need to contact technical support.)

To transfer files from local to remote (upload) simply drag-and-drop from right to left or use the 'put' (up) arrow.

Note that your uploaded web page will be inside a folder called 'Sites' within your root directory.

What to upload

All your web pages (.html files) should be uploaded, together with any dependent files (images, sound files, Flash movies, etc.). Dreamweaver is normally set up to automatically include dependent files, but it's worth checking to make sure this has happened.

Remember that any directory structure used locally must be replicated on the server. For instance, if all your images are held in a folder called 'images' locally, you must create a similar folder on the server and put all your images into it. If you transfer a folder from local to remote, normally all the files in it will go as well.

Viewing your pages

You should always check that your pages are actually viewable on the internet. To do this, go to the zappa website at http://zappa.tvu.ac.uk . Follw the 'Student Pages' link and then either use the 'search' feature or find your name through the alphabetical list.

If you have uploaded a file called 'index.html' it should appear immediately. If not, you need to enter the filename at the end of the 'address' box at the top of the screen.

For example, if your login is '07johnsonz' and your main page is called "mypage.html", the address box should read:

http://zappa.tvu.ac.uk/~07johnsonz/mypage.html

Note that to meet the requirements of this module, your home page must be called 'index.html' (otherwise we won't be able to find it).

To be absolutely sure that your pages have all uploaded correctly, you should check them using a different machine to the one you were using for development, preferable one outside TVU.

Uploading with WS-FTP

WS-FTP is a general-purpose FTP client program which is installed on some TVU computers. For quick uploading it is less cumbersome than Dreamweaver and easier to use.

Start up WS-FTP.
You will see the login page of WS-FTP:
Either select the 'Zappa' profile as above, or enter the Host Name/Address as 'zappa.tvu.ac.uk'. The Host Type should be 'Automatic detect'.
Enter your User ID (your zappa login) and your password and click 'OK'
If the system recognises you, you should get the main transfer window:
Here, the left-hand side shows the local files and the right-hand side shows the remote files (the opposite to Dreamweaver).

Double-click on the 'Sites' folder icon on the right, as that is where all your web site files need to be. Then you will see:
To transfer files from your own local folder to the zappa web server, select the files on the left (you can multiple-select in the usual way) and use the left-to-right arrow button in the middle to move them over. It's as simple as that!

Uploading from elsewhere

If you want to upload files from home, and you do not have Dreamweaver, you will need an FTP Client Program. You can download a free one from www.internet-soft.com/ftpcomm.htm. You will need to set it up with the same details for remote access as above. Please be aware that because of security issues it may not be possible to upload to the TVU servers from outside the TVU domain.

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