Help with Server.MapPaths - aaaaaahhhh

Hi All

Sorry to be irate, but the whole concept of Server.MapPaths really has me in
a tiswas!!

In order to confirm once and for all, could you please advise me on the
following:

1) There is no difference in putting '/' or '\' in the Server.MapPath param,
eg Server.MapPath("/fred/test.asp") or Server.MapPath("\fred\test.asp") -
they work the same - correct?

2) I'm finally using my ISP's 'off-world' folder to store my Access DB (yes
I know I should be using MSSQL) and I am trying to link my ASP files back to
it using Server.MapPath in such a way that my ISP's file server structure
and my local file server structure can read the same site without me having
to have different connection strings for remote and local work.

To explain my problem, please note the following:

There are 2 folders to start with 1 called <htdocs> and 1 called <private>.
The htdocs is the web share folder and the <private> one is the 'off-world'
database store.  A common practise I believe with IIS ISPs.

In the <htdocs> I have the following folder structures:

root level ... some ASP inc files ...

<incs> folder ... some ASP inc files ... <sprocs> folder ... some ASP inc
files ...

<user-data> <pics> my uploaded pics

Now this is where the weirdie comes.  If my ASP inc file is in the
<incs><sprocs> level my Server.MapPath for accessing the <pics> folder is
"../user-data/pics/", however if I have an ASP inc file in the <incs> level
then my MapPath is "../../user-data/pics"

How is that??  Surely the <sprocs> folder would need more '../' than the
<incs> folder which is one level up?

If somebody could just give me a dummies run-down on how this works I would
really appreciate it as I just don't get it.

Thanks

Laphan

> 1) There is no difference in putting '/' or '' in the Server.MapPath
param,
> eg Server.MapPath("/fred/test.asp") or Server.MapPath("\fred\test.asp") -
> they work the same - correct?

I wouldn't expect them to.  Why would you use \ ?

> Now this is where the weirdie comes.  If my ASP inc file is in the
> <incs><sprocs> level my Server.MapPath for accessing the <pics> folder is
> "../user-data/pics/", however if I have an ASP inc file in the <incs>
level
> then my MapPath is "../../user-data/pics"

Why the ../ ?  Did you try /user-data/pics/ in both places?

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Hi Aaron

Thanks for the prompt reply.  In response:

1) I have no idea why I should use \   -- it makes about as much sense as
using /, but my ISP sent me an example with \ in it.  To me they seem to
make no diff either way.

2) I've tried the /user-data/pics and it kept saying path not found.  I
don't know why it irritating.  How does this ../ thing work anyway?  If I
set it to this it works, but I just don't know why

Your help (as always) is appreciated.

Rgds Laphan


Aaron [SQL Server MVP] <ten.xoc@dnartreb.noraa> wrote in message
news:eIkt6EapEHA.324@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> 1) There is no difference in putting '/' or '' in the Server.MapPath
param,
> eg Server.MapPath("/fred/test.asp") or Server.MapPath("\fred\test.asp") -
> they work the same - correct?

I wouldn't expect them to.  Why would you use \ ?

> Now this is where the weirdie comes.  If my ASP inc file is in the
> <incs><sprocs> level my Server.MapPath for accessing the <pics> folder is
> "../user-data/pics/", however if I have an ASP inc file in the <incs>
level
> then my MapPath is "../../user-data/pics"

Why the ../ ?  Did you try /user-data/pics/ in both places?

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Just another note on this.

My local path is as follows:

<asp>  << this is my shared root folder, which I put all my test sites in,
as separate folders.  Probably not a good idea.  The site in question
therefore has the following path from the root:

<asp><mysite> .. content folders and files in here

My remote site is CURRENTLY as follows:

<www.mydomain.com>  << although all content is put into <htdocs> I don't
have to specify this because the mydomain is mapped to this (correct?) and
inside this root folder I have created a new folder called  <test> and put
all of the web content from above into this.  A common practise by crap
developers like me is that we put the site into a test folder before we
transfer it to live.

I believe the above is why I can't simply use "/user-data/pics" because my
root level doesn't actually contain the necessary files and folders.  Would
I be right in saying that if I created a new web shared folder in my local
IIS and put the files in the root of this new folder they would work fine
and would I also be right in saying that if my remote content was on the
root level rather than being in a test folder it would also work fine?

Thanks

Laphan


Aaron [SQL Server MVP] <ten.xoc@dnartreb.noraa> wrote in message
news:eIkt6EapEHA.324@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> 1) There is no difference in putting '/' or '' in the Server.MapPath
param,
> eg Server.MapPath("/fred/test.asp") or Server.MapPath("\fred\test.asp") -
> they work the same - correct?

I wouldn't expect them to.  Why would you use \ ?

> Now this is where the weirdie comes.  If my ASP inc file is in the
> <incs><sprocs> level my Server.MapPath for accessing the <pics> folder is
> "../user-data/pics/", however if I have an ASP inc file in the <incs>
level
> then my MapPath is "../../user-data/pics"

Why the ../ ?  Did you try /user-data/pics/ in both places?

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I don't understand how to interpret all of your <notation>...

How about show us the results of this, from both the <incs> folder and the
<incs><sprocs> folder:

on error resume next
response.write "<P>" & server.mappath(".")
response.write "<P>" & server.mappath("/")
response.write "<P>" & server.mappath("../../user-data/")
response.write "<P>" & server.mappath("../user-data/")
response.write "<P>" & server.mappath("/user-data/")
response.write "<P>" & server.mappath("../incs/")

I don't think any of us are in the business of figuring out ISP's wacky
storage conventions.  I would be tempted to just put the database in a web
folder somewhere.  Name it with an ASP extension, so that if anyone has the
motivation to actually find out where you keep your database file and what
you call it, they will still have to gain local access to the machine in
order to open it.

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"Laphan" <news@DoNotEmailMe.co.uk> wrote in message
news:O1qBhIapEHA.1688@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Hi Aaron
>
> Thanks for the prompt reply.  In response:
>
> 1) I have no idea why I should use \   -- it makes about as much sense as
> using /, but my ISP sent me an example with \ in it.  To me they seem to
> make no diff either way.
>
> 2) I've tried the /user-data/pics and it kept saying path not found.  I
> don't know why it irritating.  How does this ../ thing work anyway?  If I
> set it to this it works, but I just don't know why
>
> Your help (as always) is appreciated.
>
> Rgds Laphan
>
>
> Aaron [SQL Server MVP] <ten.xoc@dnartreb.noraa> wrote in message
> news:eIkt6EapEHA.324@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl... 
> param, 
Server.MapPath("\fred\test.asp") - 
>
> I wouldn't expect them to.  Why would you use \ ?
> 
is 
> level 
>
> Why the ../ ?  Did you try /user-data/pics/ in both places?
>
> --
> http://www.aspfaq.com/
> (Reverse address to reply.)
>
>
>
>