Need help with .asp Virtual Includes

Question

Hi,
I am using;
Dreamweaver 8
Win XP Pro
IIS6
Virtual Directory Information in IIS:
Local Path: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\hseih
Application Name: hseih
Execute Permissions: Scripts Only
Configurations>Options>Enable Parent Paths: Checked
Read, Write, Browsing, Script Secure access, log visits,
index this source: All Checked
Dreamweaver Site Setup Information:
Local Root: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\hseih\
Links Relative to: Site Root
Server Model: ASP/VBScript
Access: Local/Nework
Testing Server Folder: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\hseih\
URL Prefix:
http://localhost/hseih/
Heres the code Im using in my index.asp file, where the
footer.asp file is in the same directory.
<!--#include virtual="/header.asp"--> or
<!--#include virtual="header.asp"-->
very simple, I believe I have everything setup correctly, and
it should work. But I receive:
Error Type:
Active Server Pages, ASP 0126 (0x80004005)
The include file 'header.asp' was not found.
/hseih/index.asp, line 10
However, it DOES work whenI add the root directory name into
the include path as follows:
<!--#include virtual="/hseih/header.asp"-->
its like there's a setup issue somewhere, where IIS is
misinterpreting the root of my site. When Im specifying to use the
Site Root, and also the use of the "/" in the include path - doesnt
that specify the root directory?
Any insight would be greatly appreciate.
Thanks!

Answer 1

You web server configuration is what ultimately drives how
your site is set
up and how you navigate to all of your resources, whether
they be include
files, images, or what have you.
Right now, the *root* of your web site, according to your IIS
configuration,
is c:\inetpub\wwwroot. This translates into
http://localhost/. If you have
your "hseih" folder within wwwroot, then it's a virtual
directory, or
subfolder, of the root. In other words,
http://localhost/hseih/. So if
you
had a file in the "hseih" directory called "myfile.asp", then
the path to it
would be:
http://localhost/hseih/myfile.asp.
If, on the other hand, you reconfigure the web site in IIS to
use
c:\inetpub\wwwroot\hseih as the root of your web site as
described in the
configuration information I referred to earlier, the path to
that same file
would be
http://localhost/myfile.asp.
It's all a matter of telling IIS
where the start of your web site is.
The Local Root Folder config in the Local Info section of
your site
definition tells Dreamweaver where the files reside that
you'll be editing.
*Typically*, this lines up with the HTTP Address config in
the Local Info
section of your site definition. Not always, but most of the
time.
*Typically*, this also lines up with the URL Prefix in the
Testing Server
section of your site definition. Because you've got
http://localhost/hseih/
set up in the URL prefix *and* "c:\inetpub\wwwroot\hseih" set
up in the
local root folder everything is resolving correctly, because
technically
they're the same location. But, the thing to remember is
"hseih" is a
virtual directory within the site, it's not the root of the
site (which is
one level up from there).
Any configuration URL that you set in your Dreamweaver site
definition is
pretty much there to tell Dreamweaver where to find things
when it creates
your preview pages, and other similar tasks. It's mostly
there to make sure
it builds links and references correctly for those functions.
Once you have
a grasp on those two items and know where the separate of web
server and
design tools occur, it makes a lot more sense.
When you're working locally, which it sounds like you are,
things are
generally easier to configure because the local and remote
info are the
same. But when you begin working with outside web servers, it
can get more
complicated.
Best regards,
Chris
"fmeenz" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:[email protected]...
> chris -
>
> just reading your 2nd post about making the IIS root
directory 'hseih'
>
> currently, my IIS local path for my virtual directory is
set to
>
> Local Root: C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\hseih\
>
> is that not correct?
>
> when i browse
http://localhost/hseih/ i do in
fact see my index.asp page.
> Its
> the include files that arent working correctly. I am
under the assumption
> that, by adding a "/" to any reference -- link, image,
include -- it
> should
> first start from the root of the site and pull from
there. From what I
> understand, I have set the root of my site to the hseih
directory. please
> correct me if im wrong.
>
> thanks
> eric
>
>