Web Publishing Using WS_FTP

Important Information:

1. For Publishing on the Web:
   1. Your User ID: your e-mail ID, e.g. cburch or arainwater
   2. Your password: See the page on MMSD's Intranet at http://dww.madison.k12.wi.us/webpub/ or e-mail cburch@madison.k12.wi.us if you do not know your WWW password. It is NOT the same as your e-mail or Novell passwords.

That Was Then, This Is Now

While publishing is a lot easier now, the mechanics have changed. It's not only easier to add files, but also to change and delete files, so you have to pay attention to detail and have a good idea of what's on your site.

Then

Now

Authors create pages, editors check pages, publishers publish pages. Publishers assigned to categories; categories determine which folder(s) a publisher can access. Publishers request creation of subfolders from the Webmaster. Files published in 3 steps: FTP, submit, publish Password same as e-mail password

Authors create pages, publishers check and publish pages. Editor & publisher same person. Publishers belong to groups. Publishers can read any file in any folder, but can only publish or delete in folders owned by their group(s). Any publisher of a group can create subfolders in folders owned by that group. The new folder is then owned by the group, as well. Also, any publisher can delete a subfolder owned by the group. Keep backups of all your files!! There is no "Undo." Once something is deleted from the Web site, it's gone. Files published in 1 step: FTP. This means as soon as you FTP a file to the server, it is viewable by the world. Work things out on your computer first, then publish as the last step. Do not put data you don't want seen on the server. Remember, all publishers can see your files. Password independent of other passwords

Acquiring and Installing WS_FTP

1. Download WS_FTP:
   1. Open your Web browser (Netscape, IE, etc.).
   2. Click on this link:
      http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/webpub/wsftp32.exe
   3. Your browser will ask you where to save the file; pick a spot and remember it.
   4. Quit your browser and other applications.
2. Install WS_FTP:
   1. Run wsftp32.exe from where you saved it in step 1.d above.
   2. When prompted, check the "faculty member of an educational institution" choice.
   3. Under Location: check "At school;" under Purpose: check "For academic work."
   4. Accept the license.
   5. If you wish, pick a different folder than the default in which to install the program.
   6. Pick a folder for file transfers. This is the folder WS_FTP will open when it starts.
   7. Click OK. Ws_ftp will be added to the Programs list under the Start button.

Setting Up WS_FTP

You should only need to follow these directions the FIRST time you run WS_FTP after installing it.

1. Start WS_FTP (Start... Programs... Ws_ftp... Ws_ftp)
2. The Session Properties window opens. Click on the New button. Fill in the blanks so the window looks like below. DO NOT CLICK ON OK. Read a.-e. below.
   
   
   1. "Profile Name" is the name of the these settings will be saved under; it can be anything, but MMSD is a good choice.
   2. "Host" must be www.madison.k12.wi.us - not ftp.mad... as it was before.
   3. "User ID" is your e-mail ID; see the top of page 1.
   4. Leave the "Password" field blank. Do NOT check the Anonymous or Save Pwd boxes. Never save your password on your computer. Your publishing privileges can and probably will be revoked if you are irresponsible with your password. If you are worried that someone could easily find out your password (it is part of easily obtainable info, after all), do not hesitate to request a new password from Rich Noble at webmaster@madison.k12.wi.us.
   5. Do NOT click OK. Click Apply, then Cancel.
3. Click on the Options button at the bottom of the window. Then click on the Extensions tab. To make life easier, you can tell WS_FTP what types of files to send as text when you use Auto-Mode. So, type ".htm" (no quotes) in the box and click on Add. You can do this with ".html" and ".css" if you use those as well.
4. Click on the Advanced Tab. Under "Double Click Action," choose Nothing. This will prevent accidental and potentially damaging publishings.
5. If you want to get rid of the dorky sound effects, click on the Sounds tab and choose None.
6. Click OK.

Connecting to the Server

1. Start WS_FTP if it isn't running already.
2. Click on the Connect button in the lower left if the Session Properties box is not open.
3. Your MMSD profile should be preselected. If it isn't, choose it from the Profile Name drop down menu.
4. Click on OK (or hit Enter).
5. Enter your password when prompted. Currently (Oct, 2001) it takes approximately 30 seconds to connect with the server. Thanks for your patience.

How Do I...

Navigate Around the Site

1. When you connect to the site, the window will look something (but not exactly) like this:
   
   The left side of the screen shows your computer; the right side is the remote, or server, computer. On the server, you are in the Root directory. Everything on the site is in the root directory. Note the Remote Site location bar says "/". A plain slash represents the root directory. Think of the site as an upside-down tree, with the root folder at the top, and subfolders branching out below. Files are like leaves on these branches. We call this the "document tree."
2. To enter a folder, double click on it. This is going down a level of the document tree.
3. Once you've gone down a level, you can go up to previous levels by double clicking on the green arrow next to the ".." (two dots) until you are in the desired folder.
4. Remember, you can view anything you want on the site, but you can only publish, change or delete files and folders in folders owned by your group(s). If your group doesn't own the root folder, for instance, you can view the District's home page, but you can't delete it.

Publish Files

1. Right side: Navigate to the folder where you would like to publish the file(s).
2. Left side: Navigate to the disk/folder containing the file(s) to be published.
3. If you followed step 3 under "Setting Up WS_FTP" properly, the Auto box can be used. Otherwise, choose ASCII if you're publishing .htm files and Binary if you're publishing .gif and .jpg files. With the Auto box checked, you can publish Web pages and graphics at the same time, so if you didn't properly do step 3 under "Setting Up," I'd recommend doing it now.
4. Left side: select a file by clicking on it once. You may select more than one file at a time by holding down the Ctrl key while you click on the files. You can select a range of adjacent files by using the Shift key. Or, to publish a folder and all of its contents (including subfolders), click once on the folder.
5. Click on the -> button to send the selected file(s). If a file with that name already exists, you will NOT be warned!! (Unless the file on the server is newer than the file on your computer.) The file you send will simply overwrite the old file. Be certain you are not overwriting someone else's file!!

Download a File or Folder

1. Right side: Navigate to the folder containing the file(s) or folder you want to download.
2. Right side: Select the file or folder by clicking on it once.
3. Left side: Navigate to the disk/folder where you want to store the downloaded file or folder.
4. Click on the <- button. If you selected a folder, that folder and all its contents (including subfolders) will download to your computer. This is a great, fast way to make a backup of your site!

Create a Subfolder*

1. Right side: Navigate to the folder where you would like to create the subfolder.
2. Right side: Click on the MkDir button (for "Make Directory").
3. Enter the name of the new subfolder and click OK.
   Note: Directory and Folder are synonyms.

Move a Currently Published File to a Subfolder*

1. Right side: Navigate to the folder containing the file.
2. Create the subfolder if it doesn't already exist (see previous section).
3. Right side: Click on the file and drag it until it is over the subfolder. When the subfolder is highlighted, release the mouse.
4. To move a file UP a level to the parent folder, click on the file and drag it to the folder named ".." (two dots). It has the green arrow icon instead of a normal folder icon.

Delete a File or Subfolder*

1. Right side: Navigate to the folder containing the file or subfolder.
2. Right side: Select the file or subfolder by clicking on it once.
3. Right side: Click on the Delete button.
4. When asked if you are sure, make sure you are sure, then click on Delete. There is NO "Undo."
5. You will not be able to delete a subfolder that contains anything; you must clean out the folder first.

Rename a File or Subfolder*

1. Right side: Navigate to the folder containing the file or subfolder.
2. Right side: Select the file or folder by clicking on it once.
3. Right side: Click on the Rename button.
4. Enter the new name and click OK.
5. Remember, any other files that point to this file or folder will need to be edited to match the new name.

* You can do this on your own computer, too, by performing the actions on the Left side of the screen.

Quit WS_FTP

1. Click the Close button in the lower left. This is the nice way to disconnect from the server.
2. Click on the Exit button in the lower right.