Multiple page Web sites

The first page you see at a site is called the home page. It will also contain links to other pages. If the page you are linking to is on a different server, you must use the full URL, including the server domain name, the path to the file on the server, and the file name. For example

<a href="http://bpastudio.csudh.edu/fac/lpress/resume.htm">resume</a>

is a link to my resume.

If the page you are linking to is on the same server as the page you are linking from, then you should not use the full URL. Instead, you use location of the file you are linking to relative to the file you are linking from.

To link to a file in the same directory, use only the file name as the link. For example

<a href="hoho.htm">hoho</a>

is a link to a file called "hoho.htm" in the same directory.

If you have only a few documents at your site, you might keep them all in the same directory as your home page. If you have many files, you should organize them into sub-directories so as not to become confused. For example, I create subdirectories for each class I teach, and within those I have subdirectories for notes, assignments, etc.

To link to a file in a subdirectory, use the path to the subdirectory and the file name. For example

<a href="haha/hoho.htm">hoho</a>

is a link to a file called "hoho.htm" in the sub directory called "haha."

To link to a file in a super-directory, use the path ../ and the file name. For example

<a href="../hoho.htm">hoho</a>

is a link to a file called "hoho.htm" in the directory above the one with the link.

You can repeat the ../ as often as needed. For example

<a href="../../../hoho.htm">hoho</a>

is a link to a file called "hoho.htm" in the directory three levels above the one with the link.

To link to a file in the root directory of the Web site, use the path / and the file name. For example

<a href="/hoho.htm">hoho</a>

is a link to a file called "hoho.htm" in the root directory.

If you try that on sws.csudh.edu, do not forget that your files are in a subdirectory of the root. For example, the path to my directory on sws.csudh.edu is "/lpress" and yours would be /<yourdirectoryname>.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on unofficial pages of California State University, Dominguez Hills faculty, staff or students are strictly those of the page authors. The content of these pages has not been reviewed or approved by California State University, Dominguez Hills.