Setting up a web page - Description of what is Needed
Ok, so you want to have a web page up and running. It is a simple exercise and over the next couple of pages I will try and give you a basic outline on Setting up a web page.
To create a Web site , you need three things: a domain name, a hosting account and content. Below is a breakdown of what each is:
Domain Name:
A domain name is what you typed in or clicked on to get to this site, www.settingupawebpage.com is this sites domain name.
Web Site Hosting Account:
Your web site then needs to be hosted, basically it is a folder on a computer that contain the contents of your web site.
Content:
Content is what people see when they go to your Web site. You are visiting this site, and what you can see on this page, as well as the linked pages is content. The simplest form of content is in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files, little scripts that tell your browser what to show when someone views your site.
How It All Works:
Typing the URL or clicking a link and seeing what you want is like turning on a light switch. You may not know why, but the light goes on! Here's what is actually going on under the hood:
- You type a URL into your browser and click the "go" button.
- The browser queries a Name Server to find the actual location of the files it is looking for
- It is redirected to the folder somewhere in the world that contains the files
- It downloads the HTML file from that folder and saves a copy on your computer
- It reads that file to see if it should download anything else, like pictures
- It uses the script to decide how to display everything -- text, pictures or music
- You see the content in your browser window
I'll bet you didn't know so much was happening. And now you know how Web pages work.