Uploading files to the PCC Student Web Server

1. Please see Using WS_FTP for additional notes about WS_FTP including configuring options and window layout.

2. The free (for educational and government use) version of WS_FTP is available for download at: http://sws.pcc.edu/instructor/ftp/ws_ftple.exe

3. General guidelines regardless of server or upload method:

   • Make sure you can open your new or modified file in a web browser (Netscape, MS Internet Explorer, etc). If your file does not open or display properly go back to your editor and correct it; there is no point uploading a buggy file.

   • Many servers use operating systems that are case sensitive with regard to file names and do not easily handle spaces in file names. I highly recommend using all lower case letters and no spaces in all your file names. If you want visual separators for readability use the under-score character, hyphen, or period:

     my_new_page.html
     my-new-page.html
     my.new.page.html

     If you insist on using mixed-case characters in your file names be consistent. An alternative naming convention using upper and lower case letters would be

     MyNewPage.html

   • Avoid using "fully qualified" path names or URL's for local files that are in the same directory so the links, SRC attributes (for images), etc. work will from any server as well as from your local system.

4. Open WS_FTP and log into the Student Web Server at sws.pcc.edu . You need to enter a minimum of 3 fields in the "Session Properties" screen:

   Host Name/Address: sws.pcc.edu Host Type: Automatic detect User ID: <your_SWS_login_ID> Example:   barneyrubble34 Notes: Be sure the Anonymous check box is not checked If you leave the Password field blank you will be prompted for your password (usually the last 4 digits of your Student ID) when you click on OK. For some reason, on the computers in the labs at PCC, even if you initially enter your password, you will be prompted for it again anyway... If you install WS_FTP on your computer at home you will probably want to enter your password as part of the initial login and check the Save Pwd box.

5. Click on OK and, if or when prompted, enter your password.

6. WS_FTP will display a split window: Local System on the left and Remote Site on the right. Local System is the computer you are working on and Remote Site is the server where you will be uploading files.

   Initially you should be in the Student Web Server "root" directory at the Remote Site. Your initial Local System directory will vary, but typically will be the C:\ drive root or, on computers in PCC labs, the default log-in My Documents folder.

   On the Remote Site you need to navigate to the students directory, then to your class directory, then finally to your personal directory:

   1. Double-click on student
   2. Find your instructor and class, note the CRN in case your instructor is teaching more than one section of the same class.
      Example: CIS120_aturing_12345
   3. Double-click on that directory
   4. Find your personal directory and double-click on it.
      The "Remote Site" pane of your WS_FTP window should now show the contents of your SWS directory.

7. Navigate to the folder on your Local System that contains the files you want to upload:

   1. In the "Local System" pane of the WS_FTP window scroll down to the listing of drive letters at the bottom and double- click on the applicable drive (i.e. [ -a- ] for your floppy drive, [ -l- ] for the Zip drive in the CRC at school.
   2. Further navigate to your applicable folder.

   

8. Select the file(s) you want to upload. Similar to Windows Explorer, you can hold down the control key to select multiple files.

9. Depending on the Display Option you have selected (see Using WS_FTP) either click on the arrow between the Local System and Remote System panes pointing in the direction of the transfer, or click on the Transfer button.

10. You upload files from the Local System to the Remote Site. You download files from your directory on the Remote Site to your Local System.

    

11. After you have uploaded your files always go back to the Student Web Server in your browser and view your directory and new files to make sure your links work, images load, etc. If the new pages have errors, you need to make the corrections to your files on the Local System, then upload them again.

    Note: This is the final check: if you cannot link to your page from the Student Web Server then I cannot either, and thus cannot grade it.

Common errors and things to check if the final check doesn't...

• Did you upload all the required files?

  All local files referred to in any HTML documents must also be uploaded to the server.

• Do all your links and SRC attributes (for images) correctly refer to the file?

  If you used a drive letter and path in a link and it worked on your local system, it will not work from the server: the server knows nothing about your A: drive, or your C:\School\Docs folder.

• Is the spelling of the file name in the HTML document exactly the same as the spelling of the file name that you uploaded?

  Save yourself a lot of frustration:   use all lower-case letters and do not use spaces in your file names.

[ TOP ]