Getting Started
Ok. All the color codes are together and the template is scribbled on. You have an idea of what your website will look like. You know where you want to put the logo and what to call your website. Don't worry about making changes. That is why you used a pencil.
Right click on the icon below and choose "Save Target As..." to save these files to your computer.
 Website Template |
Unzip the folder and save it to the desktop. Once it is saved to the desktop go ahead and rename the folder to the name of your website. This is the base files for your new website.
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Open up the HomeSite Program |
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In the box below the folder box you will see a list of files in the folder. Double click on the "index.php" file to open it up in the main screen. |
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Ok, so the code looks a little scary, but don't panic. We will go each and every one of these files later on. In the meantime, open up the sub-folder called "includes". Then double click on every file that ends in php. |
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As each file is opened notice a tab at the bottom of the screen appears for each opened file. If a tab is selected, that is the file that is being edited. |
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Let have some fun and make these files yours. Click on the "replace" button at the top of the screen. It looks like a pair of binoculars with a red folder behind it. |
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When the "replace button is pressed, a dialog box will open up. In the big box at the top labeled "Find what:" type in the phrase "[SITENAME]" making sure to include the brackets and it is typed it in all capitol. In the other big box below that labeled "Replace with:" type in the name of your website exactly as you want it to be displayed. |
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Click on the radio button labeled "All Open Documents" and check the checkbox labeled "Match case". |
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Now for the magic. Click on the "Replace" button and HomeSite will go through all of the open documents and put the name of your website in all the places it needs to go. Pretty cool, huh? |
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Let's do some more. Click on the "replace" button at the top of the screen again. This time in the "Find what:" box type in "[SITEADDRESS]" and in the "Replace with:" box type in the web address of your website. This address was given to you by your hosting company. It looks something like http://www.yoursite.com. Don't forget to add the http://. It's important. Hit the replace button and again the program will put the address in all the places it needs to go. |
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Click on the "replace" button at the top of the screen one more time. This time in the "Find what:" box type in "[E-MAIL]" and in the "Replace with:" box type in the e-mail address you want to be associated with this website. (It's not recommend using a personal e-mail address.) Hit the replace button and again the program will put the e-mail address in all the places it needs to go. |
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Click on the save all button at the top of the page to save all of the files. |
Congratulations. Now let's upload the files so to see what they look like.
