3. CREATING YOUR WEB SITE

All of the files that you want to be accessible on the web server must be located in the directory named "web" in your home directory. Your home directory is already set up with a "web" directory and a default home page named "index.htm". This is the page that will be loaded by default when someone uses your URL (our default page displays an animated "Under Construction" graphic). Replace the existing "index.htm" with your own and you're in business!

If you use the filename "index.html" or "index.htm" for your home page (highly recommended), then this file name need not appear in the URL (for example, the file "index.htm" would be automatically displayed with the URL: "http://www.yourdomain.com/").

Developers using SSI, PHP, or WAP may name their home page "index.shtml", "index.php", or "index.wml".

Important Security Note:

The web server automatically displays a directory "index" of files unless an "index.htm" or "badlocation.htm" file is present. If you wish visitors to access a directory like an FTP archive (displaying icons and and names of available files), then it is very convenient to allow the web server to take over the listing tasks (see SERVING DOWNLOADABLE FILES FROM YOUR WEB DIRECTORY).

It's important to remember that a subdirectory without a default file allows anyone on the Internet to "browse" the subdirectory and disregard your site navigation design. Use an "index.html" or "index.htm" file in subdirectories as part of your normal site architecture. As an alternative, a "badlocation.html" or "badlocation.htm" file can be used to indicate to the visitor that this is a location that he or she could not have reached by following the links on the site. A link should be provided to your home page or to another appropriate page.