3. Publishing
So you've planned your site, you've mastered HTML and built the pages, and it's sitting on your computer all pristine and lovely. Now, how do you get it online?
Simply put, you have to get the files that sit on your machine onto a thing called a Web Server. This is nothing more complicated than another computer which is permanently connected to the internet and which allows people to see the pages stored on it. So all you need is some space on a web server where you can put your pages.
How do you get space on a web server?
Usually your ISP, the Internet Service Provider you use to access the internet, will throw in free web server space as part of your sign-up package, or you can buy space off them. If you do this, however, your website will probably end up with an address like this:
http://www.isp.com/homepages/your_web site/index.html
So you may decide you want to purchase a proper web address all of your own. These are called Domain Names .
What's one of those, then?
A domain name is a unique web address that you own and which points to your pages. For example, www.nedesign.com is our domain name and no-one but us can use it.
When choosing the domain name you wish to buy you have to take one thing into consideration - all the best ones went long, long ago! Although some argue that we will never run out . Either way, you will need to think long and hard, and perhaps be quite creative in choosing a name you want. To check which names are still available try using http://www.domain.com/ . This site allows to you to type in your choices and it will tell you whether they are available or not.
Another thing to consider is what your domain name might mean in another country, particularly if you're building a commercial site in order to sell things. Certain words have different meanings in different countries, so beware.
Does a domain name cost a lot of money?
It's not that expensive, but prices do vary a lot so it's worth shopping around online before buying.
OK, so I've got my web space and I've bought my domain name, how do I get my web site off my computer's hard drive and on to the web server?
You need to use FTP, File Transfer Protocol , to copy your files onto the web server. There are many FTP programs out there, but there are two major programs - Cute FTP and WSFTP . Each presents you with two windows. The left one showing the contents of your machine, the right one showing the web server. Simply locate the folder on your machine that holds your web site, and the folder on the server that you need to put your files into, and then just drag and drop.
Your ISP will need to give you the FTP address and a user name and password which you put into your FTP program, and that should be all you need to know. Login, copy your files to the server and voila, done.
BUT... always, always, always back up your files before you do it! Always take a copy on your own machine because you'll end up doing what everyone does sooner or later, and accidentally overwriting a file and being faced with it all going horribly wrong.
Nedesing webdevelop team
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