Editing a Website

[kenshin9]

Hey everyone. A friend is asking me to edit his website. He lost contact with the person that originally designed it, so that's when he called me.

Several years ago, I learned the concepts of HTML and such, but I don't know anything about PHP. And it seems that it was used to make this website. The problem I'm having is finding the file(s) that will allow me to edit the main page. I only need to make simple changes like swapping out pictures. It doesn't seem as simple as editing his index.html.

When I get to the website, I can right click to view the source, and I see what I want to edit, but what exactly am I looking for to edit the page? I've looked at the index, but that doesn't display the same code.

I have FTP access and Dreamweaver installed. Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

[jamesmcuk]

landing page will be called by Index.php or default.php and may reference other php files that it loads in to create the main page. So you will need to download the start page and then download all the files it pulls in in order to edit the bit you need.

 

[kenshin9]

I see. Makes sense. Alright, I will check it out. Thanks.

 

[sourceninja]

Depending on how it was designed and it's age, it might not be just php. The designer could have used a php based content management system to setup the website. I have done contract work for clients where I design a custom site for them, but I use a CMS (such as wordpress/drupal/joomla/etc) and never tell the client. They pay me for changes and I just change the content in the CMS.

Unless they cancel my services, or ask for the ability to make their own changes (or request a CMS) I never tell them how to access the system.

 

[kenshin9]

Yeah, I was poking around all the php files and I just can't seem to figure out how I can edit his page. I think it was made a few years ago. I do recall seeing a folder titled joomla in the root directory. Would that be a good indication of using a CMS?

 

[sourceninja]

Yea, that would indicate to me the site is using the joomla cms. Its a free, open source cms. If you can get or reset the cms admin password, making changes will be almost as easy as using word.

 

[nickbits]

Look in the web server configuration and check where the site is pointing to in the file system.