UW Student Websites

Introduction 

The University of Wyoming provides active students with the opportunity to create personal websites through the Student Website Server. To utilize this service, you MUST possess a valid, active UWYO student account.

Please keep the following guidelines and policies in mind:

• Storage Limits: Student websites are subject to a strict storage quota of 200 megabytes (MB) and cannot exceed this maximum limit.

• Data Recovery: If you need a file restored from your website backup, please contact the UWIT Help Desk at userhelp@uwyo.edu or call 307-766-4357 (Option 1).

• Policy Enforcement: UWIT reserves the right to suspend any website causing technical issues or operating in violation of UNIREG 690 until the matter is fully resolved.

• Owner Responsibility: The University's role is strictly limited to server hosting. All technical updates, site maintenance, and code repairs remain the sole responsibility of the website owner.

• Off-Campus Network: If you are accessing the network drive from off-campus, you must first establish a secure connection using the University's VPN client, Ivanti. Platform-specific connection instructions are available in our technical guides, HERE.

To request for a website creation or deletion please navigate to the Student Websites At UW webpage and follow the provided instructions.

Jump to Section

1. Rules For UW Student Websites

2. Types of Scripting & Naming Default Document 

3. Navigate To And Edit My Student Site 

4. Error: Directory Listing Denied 

Rules For UW Student Websites

The University of Wyoming Student Web Server is provided as a teaching tool that allows UW students the opportunity to create academic websites.  These sites are available to all full-time and part-time students.

Unauthorized usage of the University of Wyoming's student websites is prohibited.  These types of usage include but are not limited to:

• Creating, storing, or sending pornographic material

• Uploading and/or executing viruses or malware

• Misrepresenting an individuals identity, source of communication, or data

• Disclosing, using, or disseminating personal information regarding minors

• Violating copyrights

• Plagiarism

• Advertising and endorsement for commercial purposes or personal financial gain

Information Technology reserves the right to disable or delete content that violates the University of Wyoming Student Website Rules or Unireg 690.

Types of Scripting & Naming Default Document  

The university’s web hosting environment supports industry-standard default document names to ensure user requests are automatically routed to the correct landing page. Additionally, the server infrastructure is fully equipped for server-scripting, allowing developers to execute dynamic, back-end logic. By pairing specific naming conventions with robust server-side processing, the university provides a flexible platform capable of hosting both static informational pages and complex web applications.

What is the Default Document & Supported Names?

When people type your web address (e.g., http://students.uwyo.edu/UWusername) into a browser, the computer server needs to know which specific page to show them first. Instead of giving them a blank error page or showing them a confusing list of all your private files, the server looks for one special, pre-named file to open automatically. That file is your default document which is used as your homepage.

The University web server checks for specific, pre-configured file names in a strict order of priority. To ensure your websites homepage loads correctly, you must name your main file exactly as one of the supported formats below:

This requires someone attempting to view your site to only have to type in your site name, such as: http://students.uwyo.edu/UWusername. If you choose not to use a default document, any potential site-viewer will need to know the full path to your homepage. For example: http://students.uwyo.edu/UWusername/homepage.html.

What is Scripting & The Supported Types? 

Before building your site, it is important to understand that web code can run in two entirely different places: on the university's web server OR directly on your visitor's computer.

To understand the difference between static pages, server-side scripting, and client-side scripting, think of the university web server as a restaurant kitchen, and your visitor's web browser (like Chrome or Safari) as the customer's table:

• Static Pages: The kitchen prepares a meal ahead of time. When you order, they hand it over instantly. No cooking required.

• Server-Side Scripting: The kitchen receives your order and cooks a custom meal from scratch before the waiter brings it to your table.

• Client-Side Scripting: The kitchen doesn't do the cooking at all. Instead, they send the raw ingredients directly to your table, and you cook the meal yourself right on your burner.

With client-side scripting, the university server doesn't run any code. It just passes the raw code straight to your visitor’s computer or phone, and their own web browser runs it locally. Because the visitor's computer does all the heavy lifting, the website reacts instantly. It doesn't have to send messages back and forth to the university server just to make a change on the screen. This is what powers instant features like pop-up menus, image slideshows, or checking if a password is long enough before you even click "Submit."

Server-Side Scripting:

When a browser requests a standard web page, the server simply finds the file and sends it over. Server-side scripting changes this process. Instead of just delivering a static file, the server runs a script to build a customized page on the fly before sending it to the browser.

This allows websites to pull fresh data from databases, process forms and display dynamic content that changes depending on who is viewing the page. The user's browser never sees the actual script code; it only receives the clean HTML generated by the server.

The University web server supports specific, pre-configured scripting environments to handle advanced programming. To ensure your websites dynamic application or database connections function properly, your development environment may utilize one of the supported types below:

Client-Side Scripting:

When a user visits a static web page, the server simply sends the files over. When a user visits a server-side page, the server has to process code before sending it. Client-side scripting changes the location of the action entirely. Instead of running code on the university's server, the server simply sends the raw code straight to the user's computer or phone, and their own web browser (like Chrome, Safari, or Edge) executes the code locally. 

This allows websites to react instantly to user actions without having to wait for data to travel back and forth to the university server. It powers features like interactive drop-down menus, image slideshows, instant form validation, and real-time updates without refreshing the entire page.

The university web server supports specific, pre-configured client-side technologies to deliver fast and responsive user experiences. To ensure your website's interface functions properly in a user's browser, your front-end code may utilize one of the supported types below:

Navigate To And Edit My Student Site   

Upon the successful creation of your student website, you will receive an official confirmation email containing your unique website URL and network drive path.

For optimal performance and ease of use, we recommend mapping your network drive to manage and edit your website files directly through the server directory. Please use the platform-specific guides below to get started:

• Benefits: You do not need expensive or advanced programming software to build your site; a standard text editor (such as Notepad for Windows or TextEdit for Mac) is completely sufficient for creating and editing your web files 

• Instructions to Map Network Drive: Mac | Windows 10 | Windows 11

• Note: If you would like to edit your site from off- campus, you must first establish a secure connection using the University's VPN client, Ivanti. Platform-specific connection instructions are available in our technical guides, HERE

Getting Started Template

If you are new to web development, you can use our starter templates to build your pages. You can either download the files directly or copy their contents into your own HTML files. 

• To Download Templates:

  • Step 1: Navigate to the attachments on this article.

  • Step 2: Click the name of the file (i.e., default.txt, projects.txt, research.txt), this will download the template.

  • Step 3: Once it is downloaded ensure you are changing the file extension from .txt to either .htm or .html to activate the webpage.

• View and Copy&Paste Templates: 

  • Access Code Here: default.txt | projects.txt | research.txt 

  • Step 1: Select the file from the "Access Here" section above. 

  • Step 2: Select all of the text, right-click, and choose Copy (or press Ctrl+c on Windows / Cmd+c on Mac).

  • Step 3: Open your own .html file, right-click inside it, and choose Paste (or press Ctrl+v on Windows / Cmd+v on Mac)

Below are visual examples demonstrating the appearance and layout of the provided template:

Error: Directory Listing Denied 

If this error occurs, then this means there is no default document found in the root folder of the URL. Either create an acceptable default document, or provide the full path to a page.