Web pages at WIU
From Write
Every student and faculty member at WIU can make web pages using the ECOM server. This page offers an overview of the process. I will add links to more detailed pages as my time permits.
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Viewing your page: from anywhere
You should be able to view your page from pretty much anywhere.
Faculty: your address uses either your "pretty" email address or your ECOM account:
Similarly, students can use:
I prefer the first of each of these; it is easier to remember.
Making web pages: the cycle
In most cases, you'll use different programs to edit and view web pages, even if you use a program like Dreamweaver which promises "WYSIWIG" editing. So you have to get used to a "cycle" of sorts:
- Create or edit a page.
- Save the page to your local computer.
- Publish the page to your web server.
- View the page from the server using a web browser.
- Repeat this process as needed.
With most software, you can open and save files directly to and from the network and eliminate the second step.
With either process, you have to get used to keeping several windows open. Minimizing these windows instead of closing them, and using Alt-Tab or Command-Tab to move between pages, is also a good habit to make.
Viewing a page as a file
You can view web pages you're editing as files instead of through the web. This can cause some confusion---you can think that you've uploaded or published a page, when in fact you have not. So pay attention to the address which appears in the menu bar of the web browser. If you see something which starts with "file:///", then the page you are looking at is on your computer and not on the web.
This can happen if you double-click on web pages using Fugu or WinSCP.
Making pages from WIU computer classrooms or faculty offices
Windows users: if you log in to your computer using Active Directory (ECOM username and password), you can access your web pages on the server using a mapped networked drive. This allows you to edit files very easily, without "publishing" or "uploading" them to the server.
To map the drive, pick "My Computer -> Map Network Drive." Select "W" for the drive letter (mnemonic: W=web, P=private). Enter "\\samba.wiu.edu\http" for the path. I think that's it!
Mac OS users: can map a network drive by Mac users using Go, Connect to Server, smb://samba.wiu.edu/http
You can also use methods suggested below.
From home
You can use a secure copy (SCP) or secure FTP (SFTP) client to edit your pages. You have to download the pages to your home computer, edit them, and then upload them again. This is called "publishing" in some circles.
Some web authoring software can integrate this "publishing" process into editing, so that you edit a web page like any other file.
Use the address "ecom.wiu.edu" when using SCP or SFTP publishing, whether with a standalone program or web authoring software.
For Windows, use WinSCP. This page can help you install the program and get started.
For Mac OS, use Fugu or Fetch. We have not yet written documentation for that software.
Making pages the first time
Use the GUAVA web tab to create a web directory. You'll need to log in with your ECOM username and password. Just click "Create a website" if it's not enabled already.
This will create an "http" directory in your home directory on the ECOM server. Anything you put in this directory can be viewed through the web. So never put anything private in the http directory! Files stored in other places in your ECOM account (Mail, Files, etc.) are private.
Editing methods
You can edit web pages by writing the markup code yourself, or by using a program like Dreamweaver or Nvu which handles the code for you.
Write about the "minimize" thing and the edit, reload cycle.
Mention the delay with WIU server caching.
Software
Word does write code for you, but it is bloated. FrontPage is better if you want to use a MS product.
Nvu is free and is a quality product. KompoZer is the updated version. I have not tested it very extensively. Somewhere I have screen shots of the dialog boxes needed to use the Site Manager, which is handy for editing.
Dreamweaver is very good. But it costs lots of money.
Code
Mapped network drive: send to text editor like WordPad. TextPad is a very good, cheap text editor.
WinSCP allows editing code directly from server. Right click and pick "Edit this page." Add some stuff about the potential problems here.
Caveats about this: you have to be a bit of a nerd. But the learning curve is not that steep, and you have total control over your pages.
Other stuff
Please take the time to learn about web accessibility, so that your pages are usable by folks who read web pages with assistive technologies.
You can quickly make PDFs with the free OpenOffice, which is available for Mac OS and Windows. This is useful for distributing handouts online for remote printing.
Advanced stuff
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are used to add stylistic, graphical elements. They can be challenging, to say the least. But they are very useful; when properly implemented, they allow an entire web site's appearance to be controlled with edits to a single page.
Server side includes provide a way to implement templates on the server side. If you aren't comfortable writing code, a different form of templating is better.
