Creating Web Sites: The Missing Manual

Chapter 3. Putting Your Page on the Web

In the previous chapter you learned the basics of HTML by considering a simple one-page résumé. There’s still a lot more you can do to perfect that page, but before going any further it’s worth taking a careful look at one of the most important pieces of the Web puzzle—getting your pages online.

In this chapter, you start by taking a closer look at how Web servers work. Once you’re armed with these high-tech nerd credentials, you’ll be ready to search for your own Web host—the company that’s going to let you park your Web site on its Web server. All you need to do is figure out your requirements, assess the possibilities, and then start shopping!

How Web Hosting Works

As you learned in Chapter 1, the Web isn’t stored on any single computer, and no company owns the Web. Instead, the individual pieces (Web sites) are scattered across millions of computers (Web servers). Only a subtle illusion makes all these Web sites seem to be part of a single environment. In reality, the Internet is just a set of standards that let independent computers talk to each other.

So how does your favorite browser navigate this tangled network of computers to find the Web page you want? It’s all in the URL—the Web site address you type into your browser.

Understanding the URL

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) consists of several pieces. Some of these pieces are optional, because they can be filled in by the browser or Web server automatically. Others are always required. ...