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Create a Directory Index

What is a Directory Index?

Every directory needs a web page to explain the contents of that location which is called a Directory Index. A web server will be configured to look for specific file names in a particular order, to use for this purpose. The list used by the VSU webserver, in the order searched for is:

  1. index.phtml
  2. index.html (most common)
  3. Index.html (Note: the difference from item 2 is the capitalization of the first letter)
  4. index.shtml (the default for the server)
  5. index.htm
  6. Index.htm (Note: the difference from item 5 is the capitalization of the first letter)
  7. index.php
  8. home.html
  9. default.htm
  10. Default.htm (Note: the difference from item 9 is the capitalization of the first letter)

Lacking a directory index will generate an error.

How can a Directory Index be created?

This is a just a normal web page that happens to have a file name from the list above. Everything in the Creating Content section applies.