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Make Your Own Webpage

Make Your Own Webpage

Webpages are created with a language called HTML.  HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language.  While the title may sound confusing, it is not that difficult to learn HTML.  For every start command in HTML, there is an end command.

Example #1:  <center>Hello Everybody</center>
Example #2:  <center><B>Hello Everybody</B></center>
Example #3:  <center><B><I>Hello Everybody</I></B></center>

In the first example, Hello Everybody would appear centered on the screen.  In the second example, Hello Everybody would appear centered on the screen in bold print.  In the third example, Hello Everybody would appear centered on the screen in bold and italic print.  The</command> ends the command.

You can use any word processor or even Notepad to type up your webpages.  Every webpage ends with .htm or .html.  Your homepage is named index.html.  When you name your webpages, make sure you do not put any spaces in the file names.  The reason no spaces are allowed is because you will be soon transferring your webpages to a Linux operating system which does not allow spaces.  I also highly recommend that you keep all your file names all lowercase.  The Linux operating system is case sensitive and can cause you headaches if you save your file names in upper and lowercase combinations.

So where to start?  Here is the skeleton code of a webpage:

<html>
<head>
      <title>Title which appears in title bar</title>
</head>
<body>
Insert your webpage here.
</body>
</html>

The main difference between webpages and word processing documents is that word processing documents contain the pictures on them.  On webpages, the pictures are separate from the webpage.  The HTML tells the picture to show up on the page.  The HTML command for doing this is <img src=”abc.jpg”>.  Web browsers can only support two types of pictures:  .jpg and .gif.  

Do you want to learn more about HTML?  Here are some ways to learn more:

  • Helpful Websites:  http://www.stars.com and http://webhelp.org/index.html
  • Go to a search device (altavista, lycos, etc.), type HTML Coding
  • Go to http://www.yahoo.com and select www (under computers), HTML, Guides and Tutorials
  • Go to your favorite webpage, then in Netscape 4 click on View , then on Page Source .  In Internet Explorer, click on View , then on Source .

If HTML sounds too difficult for yourself, you do have other options.  You can use a program called an HTML editor.  There are several editor programs available, including free ones.  Netscape comes with one called Netscape Composer.  These HTML editors work more like a word processor.  They use WYSIWYG technology – What You See Is What You Get.  Some of the latest word processors even have features to convert documents into webpages.

Once you get your webpages done, you then need to get them from your computer to our server.  This is done by using a program called FTP.  FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol.  The most popular FTP program is called ws_ftp . Macintosh users use a program called Fetch .

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

FTP allows us to take our webpages and graphics off our local computer and place them on the Internet Server.  Here are the following settings you will need:

Host Name: altelco.net

Host Type: automatic detect

User ID: username

Password:

Local PC Initial Directory: c:

Remote Host Initial Directory: /public_html

Your local hard drive is shown in the left window.  Your reserved space on the web server is shown in the right window.

To get a file from your pc to the web server, select the file in the left window, then click on the right arrow.

To get a file from the web server to your pc, select the file in the right window, then click on the left arrow.

To download and install ws_ftp:

  1. Download Winzip onto your hard drive if necessary. Remember where you save it to on your hard drive.
  2. Click on Start, Programs, Windows Explorer. Locate the winzip80.exe file you downloaded. Double click on it. Follow the directions on the screen to install the software.
  3. Download ws_ftp. Remember where you save it to on your hard drive.
  4. Click on Start, Programs, Windows Explorer. Locate ftp.zip and double click on it. This will activate winzip. Extract all files.
  5. Double click on install.exe.

Hold down the shift key and click here to download ws_ftp.

To install ws_ftp, you will need an uncompression program like WinZip. If you do not have that program, hold down the shift key and click here to download winzip

 Macintosh Fetch (FTP) Software

To install Fetch (FTP):

  1. Put disk into computer.
  2. Double click on untitled (floppy disk) icon, which will appear on the desktop after you have inserted the disk.
  3. Double click on FTP Installer .
  4. Click on Continue .
  5. Click on Install .
  6. Click on Install .

Note:  If you have an older machine and it can’t read the floppy disk, go to http://support.teleport.com/mac/ and download the fetch program off the Internet.

To make alias of Fetch (placing an icon on the desktop):

  1. Double click on Hard Drive .
  2. Double click on Fetch 3.0.2 Folder .
  3. Single click on Fetch 3.0.2 .
  4. Click on File (from the menu).
  5. Click on Make Alias (from the drop down menu).
  6. Drag Fetch Alias onto desktop.

 To run Fetch (FTP):

  1. Double click on Fetch .
  2. Put following information in:
                Host:                 altelco.net
                User ID:            username
                Password:         password
                Directory:          /public_html
                Click on OK .

To place files from your computer to Internet Server:

  1. Click on Put File .
  2. Select file to be moved, click on Open .
  3. Enter name for the file to be placed on server, click on OK .

 To place files from Internet Server to your computer:

  1. Select file in window.
  2. Click on Get File .
  3. Click on Save .

 Webpage Rules & Tips

  1. Webpages end with .htm or .html extensions
  2. Internet graphics/pictures end with a .jpg or .gif extension
  3. To change the extension or size of a picture use a graphic manipulation program like lviewpro
  4. The home page of your website should be named index.html
  5. All filenames should be named in all lowercase and CAN NOT CONTAIN SPACES OR SYMBOLS
  6. The code used to create webpages is called HTML. HTML is a very easy code to learn. You can also use an HTML editor like Netscape Composer or Frontpage to create your webpages. These editors work with a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) format and create the code for you.
  7. To get the webpages over to our server you need a FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program. I highly recommend ws_ftp. Frontpage users do not need a FTP program.
  8. Your web address is:  http://www.allcom.net/~ username
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