PHP=pretty hard, probably

January 15, 2010 12:20 PM

I work with a small non-profit, and the design firm that was hosting the website for our big fundraiser is no longer working with us. I have all of the files for the site, but I'm not sure how to transfer them to our site.

I have some basic web skills (I can write very 1.0 html, I can navigate my way around Dreamweaver, which is what I'm using at the office), but this site is in PHP and I'm unsure as to how to get it linked up to our main site. We own and use "smallnonprofit.org", and I want to move "bigfundraiser.com" to that site. I can get the files up onto the server, but I don't really know with a PHP site how to then link it up so that bigfundraiser.com points to smallnonprofit.org/bigfundraiser. I mean, I know how to get the domain name to link through once I get the site up, but I don't know how to get the site onto our server and situated at smallnonprofit.org/bigfundraiser.

I've tried googling, but haven't come across anything that's helpful (because googling "upload" with "php" just tells you how to make forms to upload documents on a php site).

Please help! I wish we had another web firm on board to help, but this year it's all up to me (eek).

It's quite possible I'm leaving out some crucial bit of information, so let me know if that's the case!

Thanks.

posted by sabotagerabbit to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

Depending on how the php site was coded, it may not be as simple as creating a bigfundraiser directory where you upload your smallnonprofit.org files and dumping all the bigfundraiser.org files into it, but it could be and that's what I'd start with first. If you look at the files from bigfundraiser.org and there are some not-named-like-you'd-think-they-should-be-files (like config.php or directories like 'includes' or 'system') you may be looking at a more complex task, and may need to round up a volunteer or some assistance in getting the site moved.

I also assume that you don't have any dynamic elements like forms and whatnot, if you do then you're better off finding a competent php person that can throw a couple of hours your way to move things over.

Often html coders will make assumptions like 'this will always be at the top of the site, not in a sub-directory' when they work on sites, which may be a problem. The urls to things like images or style sheets may be absolute (from / instead of relative to the page you're looking at), in which case it won't work in a sub-directory without changing every reference to that image or style sheet or other page.
posted by jeffkramer at 12:29 PM on January 15, 2010

I don't know how to get the site onto our server and situated at smallnonprofit.org/bigfundraiser

Presumably you have some other content for smallnonprofit.org? So with filezilla or putty or something, log on and look for the directory where the root is for your other smallnonprofit content and make your bigfundraiser subdirectory and upload away. Or am I misunderstanding the question?

Er, on preview what jeffkramer said. Give it a go and see what's broken.
posted by juv3nal at 12:33 PM on January 15, 2010

Not knowing the situation, do you think the design group would do the hand-off for free with the expectation their commitment is over at that point? Worth a call from/to whoever set this up, in my opinion.
posted by parmanparman at 1:16 PM on January 15, 2010

I work for a design firm, and I'm in agreement with parmanparman. We usually just go ahead and do this for clients, especially if they ask, knowing it's not something we ever expected them to know how to do. I can't speak on behalf of all businesses, nor do I know the relationship they have with you.
posted by june made him a gemini at 1:32 PM on January 15, 2010

Craigslist and $50 will solve this problem by the end of the day.
posted by sleslie at 3:58 PM on January 15, 2010

If the PHP site is talking to a database (mysql or the like, to hold articles or comments or signups or something), don't forget to transfer that over as well.
posted by hattifattener at 4:20 PM on January 15, 2010

Just because it's PHP doesn't mean that it's going to be complicated. They might have just done the pages in PHP.

This might be something that your web host can assist with. And hattifattener speaks the truth - make sure it doesn't have any database backend, because you'll need to move that too.

If you haven't found anybody to do this, send me a message. It would be helpful to take a look at the current websites. It might be a very simple move.
posted by drstein at 3:09 PM on January 18, 2010