LESSON 17: PATHNAMES

1. Study the index cards on Pathnames. I've included a hard copy of these index cards, for your convenience. These cards reinforce material that you've already read in the Weasel book. Be sure you can answer all the questions! There is a "typical directory" and some practice problems following the index cards; be sure that you do these practice problems.
   1. What is a DIRECTORY?
   2. What is the top-most directory called, and why?
   3. What is the symbol for the top-most directory?
   4. What is the name given to a directory within a directory?
   5. What is a PATHNAME?
   6. Are there different types of pathnames? If so, what are they?
   7. Directions that are given FROM THE ROOT are called ____________ .
   8. Directions that are given FROM WHERE YOU CURRENTLY ARE are called ___________ .
   9. What is an ABSOLUTE PATHNAME?
   10. How can you easily recognize an absolute pathname?
   11. What is a RELATIVE PATHNAME?
   12. When building a web site, _______ pathnames are usually used, because the files you need are usually close by.
   13. If a pathname doesn't begin with a forward slash, then it's assumed to be a __________ pathname.
   14. To go UP a level from where you are in a pathname, use _______________ in the pathname:
2. Please read pages 68–73 (from "Portable Document Format (PDF)" to the end of the section) in the Weasel book and answer the following questions:
   1. What does "PDF" stand for?
   2. What is the purpose of PDF technology?
   3. What is the remarkable thing about PDF documents?
   4. Can a PDF file can printed? Can it be viewed on-screen?
   5. Did PDF technology exist before the web?
   6. What is one way that the federal government uses PDF technology?
   7. What format is used to view the mathematical material that I put online on my web site (like "One Mathematical Cat, Please?"
   8. Can a PDF file contain links to online material and other PDF files?
   9. Are there interactive PDF forms which can be filled out and submitted online?
   10. Should PDF technology be viewed as a substitute for HTML?
   11. How are PDFs viewed and printed?
   12. Is a PDF viewer automatically installed with the newer versions of major browsers?
   13. Suppose a user has the PDFViewer plug-in, and clicks on a link to a PDF file. Where will it be displayed?
   14. Suppose a browser is configured to use Acrobat Reader as a helper application, and clicks on a link to a PDF file. Where will it be displayed?
   15. Suppose a user doesn't have a PDF reader, and clicks on a link to a PDF file. What happens?
   16. What is the standard application for creating PDF files?
   17. Can Adobe Acrobat change a Postscript file to a PDF file?
   18. What effect does "optimizing" a PDF file have?
   19. What should the extension (suffix) for PDF files be?
   20. Is Adobe Acrobat your only option for converting files to PDF format?
   21. Does the full version of Adobe Acrobat cost money, or is it free? If it costs money, about how much? (You may need to do some web research.)
   22. Are there any online conversion services to PDF? If so, how (roughly) do they work?
   23. What are the two basic ways of calling a PDF file from a web page?
   24. Is a link to a PDF file any different than a normal HTML link?
   25. Is it possible to link to a particular PAGE in a PDF document? Are there certain requirements that must be met? If so, what are these requirements?
   26. Is it possible to embed a PDF file in a web page, like an image?
   27. What does "byteserving" mean?
   28. Roughly, how do you link to a particular place in a PDF document?
   29. What HTML tag should be used for embedding a single-page PDF file in a web page?
   30. What is a good WIDTH to use when embedding a single-page PDF file in a web page?
   31. What happens if a multipage PDF document is embedded in a web page?
   32. If you embed a PDF document in a web page, what information should you also display?
   33. What happens if a user clicks on an embedded PDF file?
   34. What is good web etiquette when you have a link to ANY large media file (including PDF files)?
   
   Try out this typical link to a PDF document!
   
   Below, the PDF file has been embedded as an image. Is it working for you?
   

• "Coding" part:
  (10 pts) Given a directory structure, be able to write both absolute and relative pathnames.
• (3 pts) Show me that you've marked the answers to all the questions in your text book.
• (20 pts) Questions from the index cards and reading (see below).
  There will be 27 randomly-chosen questions; you will cross off 7 questions.
  The remaining 20 questions are worth 1 point each.