Adding .pdf files to Pub Website using Go Daddy

[Thomboy]

David and Spike:

I am back, because I found some copies of some of your suggestions from a
year ago about "how to create a 'downloads' sub-folder" to enable website
visitors to download .pdf files.

I can remember you saying NOT to leave spaces between words for the .pdf
file names, but rather to use an "underscore," then to create a "downloads"
sub-folder on my C-Drive Stem into which I should put all the .pdf files I
want visitors to be able to print when they visit my website.

You also suggested that I delete all the .htm files on my C-Drive.

When I try to load changes to my Pub Website, I have probably five different
(earlier) versions of my Index Files.

My main Index File is called "HOA Index Files;" and under this folder is
shown, "HOA Index Files(s); and under this folder is shown, "HOA - Website
Files;" and under this folder is another, titled, "index_files."

When I try to upload my .pub file after I have clicked on "publish to the
web," I can see all these index files which are becoming confusing.

This may be why Spike told me to delete all the .htm files?

Anyway, can you give me a quick overview of the seven or eight steps needed?

I would very much appreciate you including the creation of the "downloads"
folder, putting all the .pdf files into it, then the links with download in
the string to enable the .pdf files to load at Go Daddy properly.

My website address: http://www.lcn-hoa.com

I am using Win 7, and the Office 2007 suite.

Thanks, Thomboy

 

[DavidF]

Thomboy,

You are making things way to complicated.

When you "Publish to the Web" you direct your web files to your local hard
drive where you can find them. Your local hard drive is usually the
"C-drive". The Publisher web files are an "index.htm" file (your home page)
and an "index_files" folder that contain all the graphic and picture files,
plus all the other .htm files/pages of your site. You then upload the
index.htm file and the index_files folder to your web host. That in a
nutshell is how you publish your site.

There is no need to keep multiple copies of the index.htm file or the
index_files folder on your local computer. Every time you make a change you
will go back to your original Publisher file, make the change and produce a
new index.htm and index_files folder. Yes, you should backup the Publisher
file but you can produce new web files any time you want from the Pub file.

Reference: Prepare, publish, and maintain your Publisher Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/HA100947601033.aspx and don't
let it overwhelm you. But read the section about directing your web folder
to your local drive if you need to review this.

As per PDF files or any other external files, assuming that you use FTP
uploading, then just log on to your web server and create a folder/directory
called "downloads" at the same directory level as the "index_files"
folder...along side, not in the index_files folder.. If you don't know how
to create the folder using the ftp agent, then read the directions. Or log
on to your webhost control panel and use the file manager...once again read
the directions on your host if necessary. Then upload your pdf files to that
folder. Once you create your subfolder on your host you will not want or
need to upload all the pdf files each time you make a change in your site.

Then your links to those pdf files will be:
http://www.lcn-hoa.com/downloads/mypdffile.pdf . The file name can be
MyPdfFile.pdf, my_pdf_file.pdf, my-pdf-file.pdf etc. I personally don't like
underscores because it makes it look like a space when the link is
underlined, like thus: http://www.lcn-hoa.com/downloads/my_pdf_file.pdf
This can result in human errors reading the file name with spaces. Some
people also say to use all lower case as some servers are case sensitive and
once again can result in human errors writing the links.

Here is an article that might explain it better than I did: Including
external files in a Publisher web:
http://msmvps.com/blogs/dbartosik/archive/2006/01/07/80561.aspx

DavidF

 

[Thomboy]

Thanks, David, and I agree about making it too complicated.

When I first was asking about .pdf files at my website a year ago, there
were other issues making the process difficult, so both you and Spike replied.

Both of you were very helpful, but at that time, because I had not read the
info about "Including external files in a Publisher web," I began to make the
process VERY confusing, and after about 13 back and forth replies, I got it
to work.

I than pieced together what I thought was a succinct and easy to follow
process in case it ever happened again.

Well, that long series of replies, back and forth, reading them a year
later, were very confusing, so I had to come back again.

At one point, I remember Spike telling me to create a "downloads" folder on
my C-Drive and then to copy and paste the .pdf files into that folder, then
to create links to that folder from my Pub file. At that point, my what I
thought were clear directions became confusing, and that is why i came back
to clear things up.

OK, I will do my reading, then report back if I have any more questions.

Thomboy

 

[DavidF]

I remember that conversation too, and it totally befuddled me.

Think about it a moment. Why would you write a link to a file on your local
computer...the C-drive? When I view your website, I cannot access your
computer...I access your web host's computer/server...that is where the pdf
files need to be.

DavidF

 

[Thomboy]

Yes, I agree.

As much as I hate to admit this, because I only get back to the website
every six months or so to make a change, I find myself back to ground zero,
or a bit above, but certainly not back to running full speed.

That is what separates most of us from you all.

Even though I know that the .pdf files are at the host server, it is getting
them to the host site that CAN often make paddling down the rapids quite
difficult, and when the water starts to churn, it is easy to be thrown out of
the float boat.

That is always my dilemma; where to place the .pdf files so when uploading
the files at the host side (Go Daddy) to the website they end up where they
should be.

Experience is a great teacher, but when not used often, it is lost -- what
you don't use, you lose, eh?

Best, Thomboy