Uploading Files

WordPress makes it easy to upload images and other files to your blog. You can then include the image or a link to the file in a post or on a Page. You do all this with the Upload area of the Write Post or Write Page administration panel (Figure 11 or 12).

Tip

• To upload a file to a WordPress server installation blog, the uploads folder inside the wp-content folder must be writable. We tell you more about making folders and files writable in Chapter 6.

To upload a file

1.	In the Write Post or Write Page administration panel (Figure 11 or 12), scroll down to the Upload area (Figure 53). Figure 53. The Upload area of a Write Post or Write Page administration panel before any files have been uploaded to the blog.
2.	Click the Browse button beside the File box.
3.	Use the dialog that appears to locate and select the file you want to upload (Figures 54a and 54b). Figures 54a & 54b. The File Upload dialog on Windows with an image file selected (top) and on Mac OS with a PDF file selected (bottom).
4.	Click Open. The pathname to the file appears in the File box.
5.	Enter a name for the file in the Title box.
6.	Enter a brief description for the file in the Description box.
7.	Click the Upload button.
8.	Wait while the file is uploaded to your blog. The amount of time you have to wait depends on the size of the file and the speed of your Internet connection. When it's finished, the Browse tab appears with either a thumbnail image (Figure 55a) or the name (Figure 55b) of the file you uploaded. Figures 55a & 55b. The Browse pane with an image thumbnail (top) and with a file name (bottom).

To insert an uploaded image in a post or Page

1.	In the Browse or Browse All tab of the Upload area (Figure 55a), click the image thumbnail. A menu of options appears over the item (Figure 56). Figure 56. Clicking the image thumbnail displays a menu of options.
2.	To choose which image to use, click the first option to toggle settings: Use Thumbnail uses the thumbnail image that appears in the Browse tab. Use Original uses the uploaded image.
3.	To indicate how the image file should be linked, click the second option to toggle settings: Not Linked does not link the image to anything. Linked to Image displays the image in its own Web browser window when you click the image in a post or Page. Linked to Page displays the picture on a page created with the current theme (Figure 59) when you click the image in a post or Page.
4.	To insert the image (with the settings from steps 2 and 3) at the insertion point in the Post or Page Content box, click Send to editor. The image appears in the editing box (Figure 57). Figure 57. In this example, I've inserted a thumbnail of the image in the post as a link to a page.
5.	Finish composing the post or Page as instructed earlier in this chapter and click Publish. The image appears in the post (Figure 58) or Page. Figure 58. Here's the post from Figure 57. Figure 59. Here's the page that appears when you click the image.

Tip

• If you are using the HTML editor, the image will not appear in the editing box. Instead, the HTML code for the image will appear there.

To insert a link to an uploaded file in a post or Page

1.	In the Browse or Browse All tab of the Upload area (Figure 55b), click the file name. A menu of options appears over the item (Figure 60). Figure 60. A menu of options like this one appears for uploaded files.
2.	To indicate how the file should be linked, click the first option to toggle settings: Linked to File creates a link that, when clicked, downloads the file. Linked to Page creates a link that, when clicked, displays the displays a page that includes the title, description, and file name of the file. Clicking the file's title on that page downloads the file.
3.	To indicate what should be used as the text for the link, click the second option to toggle settings: Using Title uses the title you entered for the file when you uploaded it. Using Filename uses the file's name on disk.
4.	To insert the file (with the settings from steps 2 and 3) at the insertion point in the Post or Page content box, click Send to editor. The link appears in the editing box (Figure 61). Figure 61. You can insert the link in the Post or Page content box.
5.	Finish composing the post or Page as instructed earlier in this chapter and click Publish. A link to the file appears in the post (Figure 62) or Page. Figure 62. Here's a simple blog entry with the link from Figure 61.

Tip

• You can use this feature to create a basic podcast. Just insert a link to an uploaded MP3 file. Then subscribe to the blog's RSS feed to automatically download MP3 files into your podcatching software. We tell you more about podcasting in Chapter 10.