Re: Directory Structure for Website

> I am working on my first website design.  I am curious what people think
> about the directory structure for a website.  Lets say my web site address
> is http://www.eds-stuff.com.  I have my main page index.html, at the root
> level.  Let also say that I have 4 areas of content for my website:
Celtic,
> Blues, OpenGL, Religion.  Is there a potential problem putting the
contents
> of each sub-area in its own directory...eg.

Directory structure should be logical and reflect the layout of what your
doing as well as the logical structure of the site.   Most of your important
web pages should reside in the root because some search engines will not
index down into subdirectories.

It takes a lot of effort coming up with a good logical navigation scheme.
The terms must be short enough to fit on a button, yet accurately describe
where it takes the viewer.  We have all been to WebSites that have confusing
terms, or you end up on a WebPages where there is no general navigation so
that you are stuck.

I use a /buttons and an /images folder or subdirectory for most sites.  If
your going to have a lot of images or buttons, divide them up in folders
below these two. This makes looking at a website you have not seen for two
years much easier to understand later.

A \graphics subdirectory  can be used to store the raw images and drawings
space permitting.  This way I don't have to store them on my hard drive.  I
also put the raw files on a ZIP or CD just in case their host company loses
everything.  This has happened to me.  Thank God for good backups.

You only need a Styles directory if your going to have a lot of them.  You
have to be careful and not have a lot of .CSS files that are really
different looking from each other.  If you ever visited a site that seems to
change at every page you know how jerky or disconcerting this can appear.  I
prefer one .CSS with many elements so I can pick what I need from the minor
sub-elements.  I could write a book on .CSS and what works and what doesn't.

Paul Wilson
webgooru(at)gte.net

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