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Web Design with SiteSpinner
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Linking to Files
Sometime you want to provide files on your site that viewers can download. They might be zip files, pdf files or xls files, or indeed any other kind of file you can think of.
This is one of those things that is easy when you know how to, but can be difficult the first time you do it.
The usual way is to provide a text link to the file. You can make exactly the same kind of link from an image or other object. Here is a working example from the Sounds page.
This is one of those things that is easy when you know how to, but can be difficult the first time you do it.
The usual way is to provide a text link to the file. You can make exactly the same kind of link from an image or other object. Here is a working example from the Sounds page.
Download all of these files in a zip archive: sounds.zip (10K bytes)
Making the text object should cause you no difficulty. However the link is a little strange:
Link type: -blank-
Link URL: myfolder/myfile.ext the folder, name of your file and its extension
Link type: -blank-
Link URL: myfolder/myfile.ext the folder, name of your file and its extension
For this example, my file lives in a folder called sounds that lives in this site's root folder. The file itself is called sounds.zip.
If you have only one file of a particular type, you may instead choose to just place it in the root folder. In this case this link would simplify to:
Link URL: myfile.ext -- the name of your file and its extension
If my sounds.zip file lived in the root folder this would become
Link URL: sounds.zip
Substitute the name of your file, not forgetting its extension. All files should have a three or four character extension so that your viewer's browser knows what to do with them.
If you have only one file of a particular type, you may instead choose to just place it in the root folder. In this case this link would simplify to:
Link URL: myfile.ext -- the name of your file and its extension
If my sounds.zip file lived in the root folder this would become
Link URL: sounds.zip
Substitute the name of your file, not forgetting its extension. All files should have a three or four character extension so that your viewer's browser knows what to do with them.
Mention File Size
To help your viewer decide whether to download your file, always mention the file size. I did that in the example.
To help your viewer decide whether to download your file, always mention the file size. I did that in the example.
Uploading
This FAQ has more details including how to get the file uploaded to your host. You can also ftp the file directly to the appropriate folder on your host.
This FAQ has more details including how to get the file uploaded to your host. You can also ftp the file directly to the appropriate folder on your host.
Previewing
You can preview the download of your special file by copying it into your SiteSpinner preview folder. If you are going to place it in a folder on your site, set up the equivalent folder in the preview folder and copy the file there. So if you have a folder called 'zips' on your site, make a folder called 'zips' in your preview folder, and copy your zip file into that folder.
Simple preview
To first get the download working in your preview folder (assume it is named 'myfile.zip'):
You can preview the download of your special file by copying it into your SiteSpinner preview folder. If you are going to place it in a folder on your site, set up the equivalent folder in the preview folder and copy the file there. So if you have a folder called 'zips' on your site, make a folder called 'zips' in your preview folder, and copy your zip file into that folder.
Simple preview
To first get the download working in your preview folder (assume it is named 'myfile.zip'):
- Copy it into your preview folder (alongside your existing preview html files)
- On your SiteSpinner workpage, make this text object: Download myfile.zip
- Open the Quick Editor > Link tab for that text object
- Set the link type to be -blank-
- Set the link URL to be myfile.zip
- Preview, and click the link to the zip file