Website help

[matty34]

Uh oh, im back... So, im having trouble. I've designed my website in Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 and I used HTML frames (good idea?)

Im trying to upload my website I made to - mattyssite.com, but im having trouble doing it. I havent got a clue about it. Heres the overview of what the files look like in dreamweaver - http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=ejsfio&s=4

I'm connected to my FTP, im using GoDaddy if that helps too.

Help me please, try not to be to hasty, im only 16 :P

[vehelpfulguy]

Sorry but using Frames is a very bad idea.

While they were popular a few years ago I doubt if anyone designs a web site with frames nowadays.

If you want to layout your page with areas use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and things called Divs.

Here is an example of how you can design your page using frames.

http://www.manisheriar.com/holygrail/index.htm

The left hand column is one "div", the centre column is another "div" and the right hand column is another "div".

The top and bottom areas are "divs" also.

Most modern web sites are a combination of HTML and CSS and if you want to get into web design you need a good understanding of how HTML and CSS work together.

[vehelpfulguy]

Couple of important things.

Your home page should be called index.html or index.htm.

This is the default for most websites (it can be changed but I would leave it as that for now)

This file should sit ABOVE all the other files and not be in any directory like About Me or Contact.

I cannot see all your web pages, but you dont seem to have an index.html or index.htm.

So when someone goes to your web site, by default it will always load index.html first by default.

All your other pages / folders should then hang off that index.html file.

Secondly, when you upload your files to your ISP make sure you upload them into the "root" directory or any special directory name specified by your ISP.

[vehelpfulguy]

Whoops

In my first append I said:

>Here is an example of how you can design your
>page using frames.

I should have said:

Here is an example of how you can design your page using CSS

[vehelpfulguy]

Brief overview of HTML and CSS.

When web site design first started we only had HTML files.

Everything to do with the web site CONTENT (words) and the PRESENTATION (position, color etc) went into the HTML file.

This had two main disadvantages.

First, the HTML file became large and complex, full of all the words you wanted shown on the web page, as well as statements for fonts, colour, positioning and so on.

Secondly. this made changing the look and feel of your web site difficult because you had to change EVERY HTML file to change the colour or font statements.

So they brought in Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).

This is a separate file, a CSS file, that contains all the statements of how you want the web site to look.

At the start of the HTML you point to a CSS file and this defines how the page LOOKS, and the HTML file then just contains the WORDS you want shown (with heading and paragraph statements).

The great thing abut this is that hundreds of HTML files can point to a single CSS file and they all pick up the look and feel of a site from that one CSS file.

The other beauty is that if you want your web site to look different you just change the CSS file and at a stroke every HTML web page picks up that new look and feel without the need to change ANY of the HTML.

So as I said, to get into web site design you really need to understand HTML and CSS and how they work together.

Dreamweaver 8 does support CSS, but the follow on version of Dreamweaver supports them better.

[vehelpfulguy]

Here is a great site to show you the power of CSS

http://www.csszengarden.com/

The site when you first go to it has HTML file and points to a CSS file giving you that chinese look.

But down the right it says "Select a design"

When you select a different design the ONLY thing that changes is the CSS file.

But as you can see, the whole look and feel of the web site changes, just by pointing to a new CSS file.

NONE of the HTML changes, and you can read the same words on each web page, no matter what it looks like.

The text may move round a bit, but believe me, all the same text is still there.

You can also select "View all designs" if you want to see every design that is available.

[matty34]

Holy shiz, your a VERY helpful guy, your username suits you ;-)

I've started it all over again, I have all the time in the world at the moment. So why not.

I've started to do it in CSS, its actually turning out really good now, cant thank you enough vehelpfulguy!

Your a.. a GOD.

Thanks again.

[fo3nix]

Uploading issue:

Download FileZilla.

Get the server name, username and password info from GoDaddy (whoever your host is), so you know where to upload to, and enter them into FileZilla. It should connect.

Then just drag the files across, like you'd do in windows.

On a side note, if your host supports it, use SFTP over regular FTP every time. With FTP, your password is sent in the clear, as well as all uploaded content.