How to Share Files with File Areas and Media Libraries

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File Areas and Media Libraries

What is an Image Library or Media Library?

Okay, you have logos and pictures you use on your site. A Media library allows you to easily upload new images or media and manage them for your site -- in one place. See the example below.

This is a great feature if you have a "virtual" organization and enables your organization to make its media, logos, etc. available for design use as well as easy reference. If you're away from your PC, and updating a site, then your graphic files are still readily available. If you have a team working on your site, then team members can post media files (graphics, video, audio, flash, etc.) and make them available to other site admins for re-use.

I Need to share document files. What are my choices?

You have two ways to share files. The file TYPE does not matter. So if it's MS Word, a Text file, or an Adobe .PDF, it doesn't matter, or if it's a graphics file, again it does not matter.

You can use a FILE AREA which shows your visitor a file icon, or you can display a series of files in a table called a MEDIA LIBRARY. Read on below for details and examples.

Media Libraries and File Areas

Media Libraries and File Areas are two features that you can use to share files with site visitors.

However, here's the differences:

Media Libraries are arranged in a table format so your site visitor can easily view and then save files from your website. As the name implies, it's very useful for sharing Graphics, pictures, and similar files.

File Areas on the other hand, can be used to allow visitors to download files. But they are best used when you do not have a collection of files or documents. A big collection of documents? Use the media library. A small grouping of files to download -- especially PDF or MS Word or MS Excel? Use File Areas instead.

The examples below are intended to help illustrate this and give you ideas on how these features can be used to fill your requirements. If you have more questions, give us a call on our Google Voice number or send us an email or use the Contact Us page on this website.

File Area Example

Normally, your File Area would be formatted with three components on the page. These three components can be added by going to the ADD CONTENT pulldown in the upper left corner of your page's ADMIN view. If you want you can just use the last one -- the file area. Here's how this example is formatted/created:

First, a SECTION GROUP as a "holder" for content and to help align and keep the other two components together.

Second, a TEXT AND IMAGE CONTENT block, like this one, so you can have some text above the file icon that explains the file below. It would say something like, "Here is a file that contains a copy of the source file for the header image on this page. It can be opened using a graphics editor application either on your desktop, like Adobe Fireworks or MS Paint, or with an online application, like Picnic or Picasa." Right now you are reading the Text and Image block.
Third, you would add a FILE AREA inside the section group below the Text area. You would be prompted by the interface to format your file area, and then you would be prompted to name the file icon and its appearance and then upload the file you wanted to share.

When you format the file area, you can also create Options that restrict who can download the file. People who are subscribed to one of your mailing lists, for example. Need more information? Look at the tutorial website at URL http://support.premium-webhelp.com/file_areas.html for step-by-step guidance, or just to get more ideas on how to use this advanced feature.

Downloadable File Icon

800px-Creation_of_Adam.jpg

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