Advice

WEB KNOWHOW

Web Page Building for Beginners, Part 2 - with Eric Spellmann

Last update, I discussed HTML and how it is used to create web pages. This week, let's jump into some of the particulars of this design process.

Location is Everything.

You might have heard this one before, but it bears repeating: The Internet only has two different kinds of computers connected to it: clients and servers. A client computer is used to GET information from the Internet. Your computer at your home or office is considered a client. Clients are mainly used to receive information.

Every now and then, you may send some information (like e-mail), but for the most part, you are using it to receive.

Servers, on the other hand, usually sit in a darkened room somewhere. No one sits down and types on them. They are connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week (usually shortened to the term, 24/7). Their sole duty is to divvy out information whenever a client requests it.

That's right, folks. All the information on the Internet (including web pages), must be stored on servers. You can design your pages on your client PC, but in order for the rest of the world to see them, they must reside on a server.

While that may sound a bit inconvenient, think about it: "Would you really want the rest of the world to have access to your home computer?"

Trust me, it's safer this way.

So, how do we get those pages to the server? Well, they must be uploaded to the server. What is "uploading," you ask? The best memory trick for this term is to always picture the server as being "above you." If you need to transfer a file from a client to a server, you upload it. If you need to transfer a file from a server to client, you download it. Got it?

Downloading can be done with any browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera and so on). However, uploading is more difficult. Ready for a new term?

FTP. File Transfer Protocol is the method used to transfer many computer files around the Internet. It can be used for uploading and downloading, but most people use it for uploading web pages to a server.

For those of you using an HTML design program like Front Page or Dreamweaver, understand that when you hit the "Publish" button, you are, in effect, uploading (or FTP-ing) your pages to a server. The process is just hidden from you.

Several great FTP programs exist. My two favorites are WS-FTP LE and CuteFTP. You can find either at http://download.com by searching on their names.

But before you run out and download one of those little programs, know this: These programs were designed by computer geeks FOR computer geeks. I have yet to come across a user-friendly FTP program.
Needless to say, read the included instructions carefully before pressing a button.

Now that we have the methodology (great word to impress people at parties with) to transfer web pages to servers, how do we actually write them?

Let me answer that question by asking you another: If you design a web page on a Windows PC, can a Macintosh user view it? Or do you have to write a "Mac version" also?

The answer to the first question is an emphatic "yes." No matter what kind of computer you use to design your pages, any computer (client) can view it. The reason lies in the file type of all web pages.

Web pages are text files. All computer files can be divided into two categories: Text and Binary. Text files consist only of ABCs and 123s.

No special, weird-looking codes exist in text files. Binary files DO contain special characters. Have you ever received an e-mail message that just looked like a bunch of funky codes on your screen? That was a corrupted binary file. Text files just have letters of the alphabet, numbers, and basic punctuation in them. ALL computers understand and can interpret text files.

To write web pages, you need a text editor. Windows comes with one called Notepad. You can see it by clicking on the START button, PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, and then Notepad. All files saved with Notepad are saved as text files. You can use a word processor like Microsoft Word to create text files, but it is a bit more complicated.

You need to become familiar with these three terms: website, web page, and home page. A web site is like a book. A book consists of many pages, and so a website consists of many web pages.

A company or organization usually only has one website. That website consists of hundreds, or even thousands of web pages. A web page is, well, like one page in that book. You may have one page selling this product, or another page explaining this idea. More importantly, you need to understand that each web page is a computer file.

Home pages are web pages. However, they are special web pages. Think of the home page as the table of contents in that book. A table of contents has two purposes: to show you what is in the book and to show you where it is.

A home page is also like the "front door" to a web site. It's where you want the visiting public to go first. From there, they can go to any other page on the site. All web sites only have ONE home page.
What do you name your web pages? Where do you go to find a reliable server? How do you choose a ".com" address? Find out next update!

I'll see you in Cyberspace!

Eric Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences. If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by sending a blank message to NL@ERICSPELLMANN.COM with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Or, you can sign up at http://www.EricSpellmann.com

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		WEB KNOWHOW Web Page Building for Beginners, Part 2 - with Eric Spellmann Last update, I discussed HTML and how it is used to create web pages. This week, let's jump into some of the particulars of this design process. Location is Everything. You might have heard this one before, but it bears repeating: The Internet only has two different kinds of computers connected to it: clients and servers. A client computer is used to GET information from the Internet. Your computer at your home or office is considered a client. Clients are mainly used to receive information. Every now and then, you may send some information (like e-mail), but for the most part, you are using it to receive. Servers, on the other hand, usually sit in a darkened room somewhere. No one sits down and types on them. They are connected to the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week (usually shortened to the term, 24/7). Their sole duty is to divvy out information whenever a client requests it. That's right, folks. All the information on the Internet (including web pages), must be stored on servers. You can design your pages on your client PC, but in order for the rest of the world to see them, they must reside on a server. While that may sound a bit inconvenient, think about it: "Would you really want the rest of the world to have access to your home computer?" Trust me, it's safer this way. So, how do we get those pages to the server? Well, they must be uploaded to the server. What is "uploading," you ask? The best memory trick for this term is to always picture the server as being "above you." If you need to transfer a file from a client to a server, you upload it. If you need to transfer a file from a server to client, you download it. Got it? Downloading can be done with any browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera and so on). However, uploading is more difficult. Ready for a new term? FTP. File Transfer Protocol is the method used to transfer many computer files around the Internet. It can be used for uploading and downloading, but most people use it for uploading web pages to a server. For those of you using an HTML design program like Front Page or Dreamweaver, understand that when you hit the "Publish" button, you are, in effect, uploading (or FTP-ing) your pages to a server. The process is just hidden from you. Several great FTP programs exist. My two favorites are WS-FTP LE and CuteFTP. You can find either at http://download.com by searching on their names. But before you run out and download one of those little programs, know this: These programs were designed by computer geeks FOR computer geeks. I have yet to come across a user-friendly FTP program. Needless to say, read the included instructions carefully before pressing a button. Now that we have the methodology (great word to impress people at parties with) to transfer web pages to servers, how do we actually write them? Let me answer that question by asking you another: If you design a web page on a Windows PC, can a Macintosh user view it? Or do you have to write a "Mac version" also? The answer to the first question is an emphatic "yes." No matter what kind of computer you use to design your pages, any computer (client) can view it. The reason lies in the file type of all web pages. Web pages are text files. All computer files can be divided into two categories: Text and Binary. Text files consist only of ABCs and 123s. No special, weird-looking codes exist in text files. Binary files DO contain special characters. Have you ever received an e-mail message that just looked like a bunch of funky codes on your screen? That was a corrupted binary file. Text files just have letters of the alphabet, numbers, and basic punctuation in them. ALL computers understand and can interpret text files. To write web pages, you need a text editor. Windows comes with one called Notepad. You can see it by clicking on the START button, PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, and then Notepad. All files saved with Notepad are saved as text files. You can use a word processor like Microsoft Word to create text files, but it is a bit more complicated. You need to become familiar with these three terms: website, web page, and home page. A web site is like a book. A book consists of many pages, and so a website consists of many web pages. A company or organization usually only has one website. That website consists of hundreds, or even thousands of web pages. A web page is, well, like one page in that book. You may have one page selling this product, or another page explaining this idea. More importantly, you need to understand that each web page is a computer file. Home pages are web pages. However, they are special web pages. Think of the home page as the table of contents in that book. A table of contents has two purposes: to show you what is in the book and to show you where it is. A home page is also like the "front door" to a web site. It's where you want the visiting public to go first. From there, they can go to any other page on the site. All web sites only have ONE home page. What do you name your web pages? Where do you go to find a reliable server? How do you choose a ".com" address? Find out next update! I'll see you in Cyberspace! Eric Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences. If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by sending a blank message to NL@ERICSPELLMANN.COM with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Or, you can sign up at http://www.EricSpellmann.com © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.