Section 3.4. Transferring Files | Creating Web Sites: The Missing Manual

3.4. Transferring Files

Once you've signed up for Web hosting, you're ready to transfer some files to your Web space. To perform this test, you can use Lee Park's r sum from the previous chapter (which you can download from the "Missing CD" page at www.missingmanuals.com). The final version has the filename resume5.htm .

3.4.1. Browser-Based Uploading

Browser-based uploading is fairly easy, but it's not always convenient . The idea is you go to a special Web page on your host's site, where you can specify the files you want to transfer. Many Web hosting companies provide both browser-based uploading and FTP-based uploading. If you're using a budget plan or a free Web host, you may not have the FTP option at all. To perform browser-based uploading, follow these steps:

Surf to the Web site of your Web hosting company .
Log in to your account with the user name and password you created when you signed up .

Usually you'll find a login box somewhere on the first page.

Browse through the icons until you find the right page for managing files .

Each Web hosting provider has its own slightly different site layout. Figure 3-12 shows what things look like at Brinkster.

Figure 3-12. Every Web hosting provider's site looks a little different, but you'll eventually find a set of text boxes that allows you to upload pages. These text boxes always work in the same way. First you click the Browse button (top image), which shows an Open File dialog box (middle). Then you browse to the file you want, select it and click Open . If you have several files to upload at once, repeat this process using different text boxes. When you've chosen all the files you want (or just run out of text boxes), click OK, and wait until the files are copied and you get a confirmation message (bottom).

Specify the files you want to upload. You need to specify each file individually, by clicking the Browse button next to the text box .

In order for the r sum example to work properly, make sure you upload both the resume5.htm file and the linked picture, leepark.jpg , to the same place.
Log out when you're finished .

Now you can test your work by entering your domain name followed by the Web page name. For example, if you uploaded the r sum example to your Web site www.supersavvyworker.com , try requesting www.supersavvyworker.com/resume5.htm in your browser. You don't need to waitonce you upload the file to your Web server, it's available almost instantly to any browser that requests it.

Unfortunately, the possibilities for mistakes with browser-based uploading are endless. The most common problem occurs when you have a large number of files to copy at once. Not only is it time consuming to pick out each one, it's all too easy to forget something. Other headaches include trying to upload files to different folders, and having to use another window to rename or delete files.

3.4.2. FTP

Ideally, your Web hosting company will provide FTP access. FTP access lets you transfer groups of files from your computer to the Web server (or vice versa), in much the same way that you copy files from one folder to another in Windows Explorer or the Mac's Finder.

Before you can upload files using FTP, you need the address for the FTP server, as well as a user name and password. These are usually the same as the user name and password of your Web hosting account, but not always.

To upload files using FTP, you can use a standalone FTP program. However, in these modern times you probably don't need to. Internet Explorer includes its own built-in FTP browser that handles the task comfortably. Here's how it works:

Start by typing the FTP address into the Internet Explorer address bar. Make sure the URL starts with ftp:// .

In other words, if you're trying to visit ftp.myhost.com , enter the URL ftp://ftp.myhost.com , not http://ftp.myhost.com , which incorrectly sends your browser off looking for Web pages.

The next step is to log in by choosing File Login (see Figure 3-13) .

Once you've logged in, you'll see the folders and files on the Web server, which you can copy, delete, rename, and move in much the same way you work with your local folders and files. Seeing as you haven't uploaded anything yet, the folder may be empty, or it may contain a generic index.htm file that shows an "under construction" message.

Tip: As in Windows Explorer, you can choose to view files and folders using the traditional large icon view, or a more compact list (just make your selection from the View menu).

Figure 3-13. When you first enter the FTP site address, Internet Explorer will probably try to log you in anonymously, and fail, at which point it will show an error message. Click OK, and then select File Login As from Internet Explorers menu to enter your user name and password. If you turn on the "Save password" checkbox, (circled), you don't need to repeat this process on subsequent visits .

The next step is to copy your files to the Web server. The easiest way to do this is to drag the files from another open window, and drop them on the FTP window .

Figure 3-14 shows the steps you need to upload the r sum example.

Figure 3-14. To get Lee Park onto the Web, start by opening another window onto your file system by using Windows Explorer or clicking on My Computer. Then browse to the appropriate folder on your own computer. When you've found the resume5.htm and leepark.jpg files (that you downloaded earlier), select them, and then drag them into the FTP window to start the uploading process.

Tip: Drag-and-drop isn't the only way to transfer files. You can use all the familiar Windows shortcuts, including the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands in the Edit menu, and the Ctrl+C (copy) and Ctrl+V (paste) keyboard shortcuts.

If you're working on a Mac, you'll need to use a separate FTP program. Fortunately, you've got loads of free options, including the super-easy-to-use Rbrowser (available at www.rbrowser.com ). Things work pretty much the same way they do for your Windows brethren. First, fire up Rbrowser. You'll be asked to log in (Figure 3-15). Once that's out of the way, you can transfer your files by dragging them from a folder on your Mac to the Rbrowser window.

Figure 3-15. To log in to Rbrowser, you need to supply the name of the FTP server (in the Host/URL box), and your user name and password. Don't worry about setting an initial pathyou can always browse to the right subfolder in your Web site once you've made the connection. Finally, click Connect to seal the deal.