The index_files folder

[Mike Koewler]

David,

I was getting ready to reply last night when my unfriendly headaches
paid a visit. Five hours of agony (along with about 20 pills later) I
went to bed. So here is what I read.

Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, or HTTP, is a protocol used to transfer
files <I>from a Web server onto a browser</I> in order to view a Web
page that is on the Internet. Unlike FTP, where entire files are
transferred from one device to another and copied into memory, HTTP only
transfers the contents of a web page into a browser for viewing. I read
David's articles and there does not appear to be any reason why
uploading a "Published" site via ftp is any different from uploading it
any other way. Even going through Publisher and publishing directly to
the web still employs, AFAICS, a File Transfer, moving files from a hard
drive to a web server. The difference, again AFAICS, is that until one
tells Pub top actually, er, Publish the site, it does not create the
htm(l) files nor the links. However, if one can Publish to disk, those
files are created. Then, it is a simple matter of transferring them to
the server. Perhaps the reason for recommending doing it all within Pub
is so users will not become confused with how to upload files in
sub-folders.

For instance, WebPlus uses a main folder for all the html pages as well
as some other files that are named by the designer. Images WP creates
some images and scripts. These images are stored in a _wp_images folder
and the scripts in a _wp_scripts folder. All the files "and the folders
they are in" have to be uploaded or transfered.

In reading what FPSE do, it seems they write the virtual links to
different folders as well as set permissions. Perhaps this is why the
pages must be uploaded via the program if one is using forms - certain
files must have read/write permissions in order to process form data and
relay it to the recipient. I don't know if this happens when publishing
to a disk drive or not. Yet, none of this would preclude one from from
uploading an image and setting a hyperlink to it. Much as we have
discussed, this would be an absolute link
(http://yourdomain.com/yourimage.jpg) rather than a relative one ('your
image.jpg' or even '/index_files/yourimage.jpg')

Of course, none of this addresses why Joyce cannot see her index_files
folder but then again, it's not really necessary she be able to, from
what I understand. That would only become a necessity if she was going
to use FTP to transfer the images.

Mike

 

[ladalang]

http://www.crays.com/jsc/jsPImgHow.htm
here is the link to the script. It sounds like you are saying use ftp and
http. I can't do that, one or the other with 1and1.

 

[Mike Koewler]

Joyce,

You are correct about having to update things each time, to a point.
What I was saying... if... you cannot find the index_files folder via
the My Network Places but you can see it via an ftp program, upload
"only" your map images to it. Unless Pub deletes files it has not
uploaded, they will stay in that folder forever. Pub is writing the
links to that folder, so that won't change either. In other words, this
is not the "answer" but it is a solution.

I do something similar every week. I maintain a few different sites and
one of them uses a lot of large files - a weekly bulletin and sermon. I
can go through the program, attach the files via a link (and create the
link) and let the program publish everything. But in time, it starts
taking a large amount of time to verify all the files are on the server,
that they haven't changed sizes, etc. So I create a hyperlink to some
text with a link pointing the the file. I ftp the file (they are between
2-5 megs) and then publish the site.

What script are you using to create the pop-ups? It might be as easy to
suss out how to change the links it writes than figure out how 1and1 is
behaving (I've seen lots of problems from users who have 1and1 as their
host).

Mike

 

[Mike Koewler]

Joyce,

Using ftp aside (you actually can, but you would have to do it outside
of Pub), try this.

In the script where it says:
<IMG SRC=name_of_thumbnail_file ALT=alt_text></A>

use <IMG SRC=http://www.marychoward.com/kelley.jpg></A> Basically, you
are giving the absolute address of the image, not the relative one.
Since that is where your image is at, it should display.

Let us know if this works.

Mike

 

[ladalang]

Wow Mike that is awesome. I'll try it and let you know!

 

[Mike Koewler]

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Mike

Wow Mike that is awesome. I'll try it and let you know!

:

 

[DavidF]

Mike,

Here is hoping you are finished with your headaches for a while...

I found a reference about FPSE that does a pretty good job of explaining how
they work, and seems to be saying that you are partially correct. You can
use FTP to folders that you did not upload to using HTTP with the FPSE. In
the OPs case, she could upload her images to a separate folder (such as
"images") than the index_files folder that is produced by Publisher, without
corrupting the FPSE. She could continue to upload the rest of her site using
HTTP and thus preserve the functionality of her forms. Or at least that is
how I am interpreting it. This is about half way down the page:

"If you have used FrontPage / Dreamweaver to publish your files to a
particular folder, you should NEVER use regular FTP to upload your files to
the same folder. The reason for this is that it might damage the Frontpage
Server Extensions. However, you can use FTP to upload files to a different
folder from the one in which you have published through FrontPage /
Dreamweaver"

http://cp.stargate.com/kb/servlet/KBServlet/faq1143.html

What do you think?

I also found it interesting to read again that Microsoft has discontinued
support for FPSE for Linux Servers. They are moving away from FPSE.

I have some ideas about the mysterious disappearing index_files folder, but
that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Be well...

DavidF

 

[Mike Koewler]

David,

That's how I would "logically" presume things would work. I would even
go so far as to wager one could upload some files, such as images that
are not directly referenced in the Pub created code (such as using a
link to "An Internet Page" rather than a "Page in your site" or images
referenced in js) without affecting other files. Of course, I would only
try this one time, on a site that wasn't real important. In fact, I was
going to try to add the Extensions to my site, but it would destroy the
htaccess files and it really didn't seem worth trying it. Besides, if
Joyce provides absolute links in her js, that should work.

I wish I could say the headaches have completely left the building.
Unfortunately, they withdrew to a closet to regroup and fortify
themselves. They hit like a ton of bricks last night. One moment I'm
feeling great, on top of the world, happier than I've been in more than
a month. Ten minutes later, I was in agony, pure agony. It lasted for
300 minutes, 18,000 seconds. Vicodin and Tylenol 3, even combined with
alcohol, ibuprofen, aspirin, HeadOn and anything else I could find did
next to nothing. Okay, I didn't feel like laying in front of freight
train, but I did want to put my head in a vise. By 3am, I was able to
fall asleep or pass out. They hit again this evening, at about 7 pm, but
so far I haven't needed much medicine to keep them at bay. The key is to
knock them out before they get started. That's a window of about 90
seconds to recognize they are indeed a cluster headache and take the
Tylenol or Vicodin.

Mike

 

[DavidF]

Mike,

You could be right, but the way I read that article is that if you ftp to
the index_files folder, you "could" corrupt the FPSE. Seems to me that it
isn't worth the risk.

Bummer on the headaches...reminds me to count my blessings that I only have
the occasional migraine.

DavidF

 

[DavidF]

I have a theory as to why you can't see your index_files folder. 1&1 appears
to name their home directory, or their root directory, "index_files" by
default. Try adding "/index_files" to your HTTP login path, or in other
words, create a new network place path to your home directory. Instead of
http://www.yourdomainname.com, write it as
http://www.yourdomainname.com/index_files (with an underscore between index
and files).

If you log in to your control panel, and if memory servers, go to domain
management and click on "destination" drop down arrows you should see "show
destination" and "edit destination". If you click on "show destination" you
should see a dialog that shows the Destination is your home directory. Under
home directory, click on existing directory, you should see probably two
options. One is "index_files" and the other is "/". I would guess that you
have chosen the first which would create confusion and potentially a
conflict with the Publisher folder with the same name. You may need to
change to the "/" as the default destination/existing directory, to get to
the point where you will see the Publisher folder "index_files" folder. That
would probably mean you would have to upload fresh external files and your
publisher files, but in the future you should be able to see the Publisher
index_files folder when you login via http. But as I said, you might also
just try changing or creating a new network place/ HTTP login path by adding
"/index_files", and make no changes in your setup on 1&1.

No guarantees but I think your issue might be around the use of the name
"index_files" for the home directory folder in 1&1. You should be able to
explore this via the control panel at 1&1 or maybe with your ftp client. If
you get the home directory name and the path to it sorted out, or you look
in the correct folder or place on the directory, then you should find the
Publisher index.html file and the index_files folder that Publisher
generates.

DavidF

 

[ladalang]

Well it's an improvement, the thumbnails load, but the text showing which
little map it is, is gone. And the larger map which is the pop up, is still
going to the index _files folder. so the pop up doesn't yet work. I changed
the image name in the pop up script to show the exact location as the
thumbnail. I'm going to try the double quotes like in the thumbnail to see
if that changes anything.

take a look:
http://www.marychoward.com/index_files/Page583.html#READ HERE

 

[ladalang]

I had an idea. I saved my pub doc as an index.html on my desktop and it
generated the desired index_files folder. I copied my images into it and
manually pasted the whole folder onto the root directory. It said that an
index_files folder already existed did I want to replace it. I said yes and
now it's copying. I'm worried that the specifc order those images were in
will mess up my site. But I figured I can always overwrite the whole thing
by just saving the current site again. I hope I didn't really screw it up.
We will see. My worry too is that it will time out before it saves the whole
folder because it's taking so long.

I did confirm something, that folder is there but not visible.

 

[DavidF]

I don't know if you saw my last post or not...this thread is becoming way
too long, so I thought I would repost it here:

I have a theory as to why you can't see your index_files folder. 1&1 appears
to name their home directory, or their root directory, "index_files" by
default. Try adding "/index_files" to your HTTP login path, or in other
words, create a new network place path to your home directory. Instead of
http://www.yourdomainname.com, write it as
http://www.yourdomainname.com/index_files (with an underscore between index
and files).

If you log in to your control panel, and if memory servers, go to domain
management and click on "destination" drop down arrows you should see "show
destination" and "edit destination". If you click on "show destination" you
should see a dialog that shows the Destination is your home directory. Under
home directory, click on existing directory, you should see probably two
options. One is "index_files" and the other is "/". I would guess that you
have chosen the first which would create confusion and potentially a
conflict with the Publisher folder with the same name. You may need to
change to the "/" as the default destination/existing directory, to get to
the point where you will see the Publisher folder "index_files" folder. That
would probably mean you would have to upload fresh external files and your
publisher files, but in the future you should be able to see the Publisher
index_files folder when you login via http. But as I said, you might also
just try changing or creating a new network place/ HTTP login path by adding
"/index_files", and make no changes in your setup on 1&1.

No guarantees but I think your issue might be around the use of the name
"index_files" for the home directory folder in 1&1. You should be able to
explore this via the control panel at 1&1 or maybe with your ftp client. If
you get the home directory name and the path to it sorted out, or you look
in the correct folder or place on the directory, then you should find the
Publisher index.html file and the index_files folder that Publisher
generates.

That ends the previous post, and I would probably rewrite it if I had time,
but perhaps it will lead you to a solution. I did have one question that you
may have answered before, but I don't see it in this thread. Which version
of IE are you using? I am now wondering if your issue of not being able to
see the folder has to do with you using IE7. Let me know, please. And if you
are, then check out the thread about IE7 Issue 4/2/07.

DavidF

 

[ladalang]

I'm using IE7, but it didn't show before 7 either.