If you are developing a web page, you can store all of your files on your local computer, maybe your office computer, or on a floppy disk, probably a zip disk because you can quickly run out of space on a smaller floppy disk. However, if you do not have your web files stored locally, you can first download them from personal.bgsu.edu, edit them, and then publish them back to personal.bgsu.edu. This is what I do whenever I work on my web page from the computer lab. FrontPage likes to have all the files in a web on the local machine. When FrontPage publishes a web and finds additional files on personal.bgsu.edu that are not on the local machine, it may ask if you want to delete them. Don't!
Here are the steps to download and edit your web files.
First, use Fetch to retrieve your complete collection of web files from personal.bgsu.edu, as follows. Fetch is an FTP (file transfer protocol) program for the Macintosh. It may be found under Apple, Internet Applications on most Macintosh computers at BGSU. Note that you need only type personal in the box, not personal.bgsu.edu.
In most cases, you will want to download your entire public_html directory, so simply select that folder and click the Get button.
I would recommend that you tell Fetch to put the files on the Desktop. Just click the Desktop button to get there.
Now launch FrontPage Explorer (click the apple, Applications, FrontPage Explorer). The first screen you see is below. Click on the Open Existing Front Page Web button, then OK.
FrontPage stores web pages in its own folder called FrontPage Webs. You should now navigate to the Desktop by clicking the Browse button.
Again, click on the Desktop button, then click once on public_html, then click on the Select "public_html" button.
Typically, FrontPage thinks it needs to add some additional files and folders. Say yes.
Click OK on the screen below to verify that you want to work with the "Root Web" rather than a subweb of your web files.
If you want to add a new web page, for example, a Home Page (index.html), pull down Tools, Show FrontPage Editor.
If you want you edit a web page that is already there, double click on it.
Now you will see the FrontPage editor, something like this. I have typed something in it.
I think it is a good idea to change the name of the page; "Home Page" is too generic. To do this, pull down File, then Page Properties, and get a window like:
While you're at it, it would be nice to make white the background color for the page; for many browsers, gray is the default, but that doesn't make your webpage look too good. Click on the Background tab and choose white as the Background color. Then click OK.
Of course, you can make the page as fancy as you like. Be sure to save your home page! You can use FrontPage Editor to create additional web pages that go in the same web, for example, a page of homework assignments, pictures of your dog, or a collection of your favorite links. It is a good idea not to put spaces in the filenames.
After you are done editing web pages, save them and publish the web back to personal.bgsu.edu as explained in Publishing your FrontPage web.