Default/Front Page

The default/front page is the name we use for the default page of the site. It is not a topic. It can be a welcome page, before the KB is called. Or, it may not display at all, but call the frameset (KB) instead. The default/front page is the ideal location to make your site Google friendly (see Google Friendly Site). The default/front page should not be confused with the default topic, which is the real home page of the site, although not technically.

On a well-organized site, where all non-topic files are kept in subfolders, the default/front page is the only non-topic in the root folder of the web. This way you'll have an alphabetic list of all topics in the root folder when working in the web page editor. The default/front page is the only intruder. See Location of Topic Files.

Most common
The most common default/front page, simplified, looks like this*:

<body>
Welcome to TITLE OF WEB SITE
<a href="ksw/jscheck.htm">Click here to enter site</a>
<a href="ksw/toc.htm">Complete list of pages on this site</a>
</body>

The first link is the only required link. The jscheck.htm file checks the browser has JavaScript enabled, and if not, it offers a list of pages on the site in the form of the KSW Index. If JavaScript is enabled, jscheck.htm opens the frameset/KB. If you want to skip the JS check, replace jscheck.htm with frameset.htm. Skipping the JS check makes sense, as one hardly can browse the web today with JavaScript disabled.

The second link makes sure web search engines like Google will index the entire KB. In general, web search engines do not index well frame-based sites. Inserting this link makes indexing of the entire KB certain.

Options
Depending on your site's audience, you may choose to include a link or not, as detailed bellow. The options are as follows:

    • [YES/NO]Google = Whether site is Google friendly or not; for instance, when a site is private/protected or located on an intranet, it should not be open to search engines. When [YES]Google, add a link like 'Complete list of pages on this site' above. See examples in Google Friendly Site.

    • [YES/NO]JS = Whether site checks for JavaScript enabled. If JS is not enabled, a message is displayed and the user is offered a straight list of pages. See examples in JavaScript Check.

    • [YES/NO]Direct = Whether the site opens directly in the frameset or not. If [YES]Direct, the site opens directly in the KB, where the first topic displayed is the default topic. If [NO]Direct, the default/front page is displayed. See examples in No Front Page Display.

Private or Intranet Sites
When you create a private site, the only difference is in the default/front page. See Private or Intranet Sites.

Changing the default/front page
You set the default/front page in KSW when a project is created. If you ever need to change its filename afterwards, see Changing the Default/Front Page.

* Options are: [YES]Google [YES]JS [NO]Direct