"root folder"

need a bit of help please

[Gary_Numan]

I am looking into building a site using a html template for dreamweaver. The host that I am with has requested the following:

START:

On your computer, create a "root folder" and label it the name of your domain. Create and edit all HTML files (please use the ".html" extension for all your HTML files) in this folder. This is the same "root level" that we build HTML pages in. And it is where your HTML files go when you upload them.

On your computer, create an image folder labeled image-files and place that folder inside your "root folder." Put all your images that you will use on any page created by your HTML editor into that folder.

Also, if you absolute-reference your links, you will not be able to test & preview your page properly in your browser, since your supporting files will not yet be present on our servers. For that reason, we recommend you Relative-reference your links to ensure proper previewing.

:END

What is a root folder? where do I put it? What does absolute-reference mean?

I need someone to explain this to me in plain language. Can anyone spare some time and help me out?

Thanks

[MatthewHSE]

The root-level folder of your website is the folder where your index page (homepage) is stored on the server. Visitors can access your root directory and any files or directories inside of it (provided you link to them or the visitor knows the specific URL).

It's hard to explain this in any plainer language than you quoted above, but maybe some examples will help.

To create your root folder, right-click on your desktop, point to "New," then choose "Folder." Name the new folder after your website's domain. Then, double-click on the new folder. It should bring up the folder as a Windows Explorer window. Right-click to create a new folder and call it "images" (without the quotes). This folder is now a sub-folder of your root folder.

Your .html files will go directly in your root directory. Your images need to be saved in the images directory.

Now about the URL's . . .

When you link to another page on your site, or include an image, and a few other instances, you have the choice of using "absolute URL's" or "relative URL's". Relative URL's is normally the method of choice, for various reasons, which you'll understand better as you get more into these things. Absolute URL's include your domain name in them, whereas relative URL's use "shortcuts" to point to the different files on your site. Here are a couple examples, using image tags:

Absolute URL:

<img src="http://mysite.com/images/myphoto.gif">

Relative URL:

<img src="/images/myphoto.gif">

The absolute URL tells the browser to request the image from a specific web address, including domain name. This means that image could be located on any server on the Internet (but don't hotlink like that, it's bad manners and can have some nasty side-effects). A relative URL "assumes" the domain name of the site currently being viewed. You might say your domain name is automatically added to the beginning of a relative URL. This means that the image must be located on your server at the location specified in the image tag.

Links and other URL references work the same way.

Hope this answers your question - post back if you need things clarified any more.

Matthew

[Gary_Numan]

Thanks Matthew. The wording was maybe plain to you but I had to read through their instructions a few times just to be able to reach a point where I was even able to write that question!

The first time I read their instructions, all I could think was "What the?"

I am learning more as I go along. I know it's going to be a slow and painful process, but it will be worth it I am sure.

Thanks again, I am sure there will be further questions soon :)

[MatthewHSE]

Hey, we all start at the beginning sometime. It's only been a few years since I asked a web designer "Is the kind of site you're designing for us the type that can have links on it?" So you know I've been as illiterate as you can get with this stuff! ;)

It really may not take you as long as you think to get some of the basics down. Get a handle on the HTML tags, FTP, and URL's and you're set to go. Then you can start adding in some of the finer points, such as using good document structure, CSS and CSS Positioning, and the like.

And you're in the best possible place to learn - WebmasterWorld is a spectacular resource!

Let me know if you have any more questions about the URL's or anything.