?How to have a web site locally on iPad and access via Safari?

[larrymcg]

I'm pretty much a noob iPad user so.....

I'd like to have a small web site on my iPad and be able to access it via Safari without any internet connectivity.

After doing some research I'm pretty well convinced it can't be done - there is no visible file system so there is no place to put the folder containing the web site files. I tried putting the folder on DropBox but I couldn't get a link to a local copy, only a link to the on-line version. I've also discovered that DropBox on the iPad seems to have local copies of some things but not of all things. I tested by turning on airplane mode and then accessing items in Dropbox on the iPad. Some things were available and some were not.

I'm out of luck, right?

--Larry

PS: Maybe a statement of my real objective would be useful. I want to display a photo album on the iPad, which includes navigation, thumbnails and photo captions. I want to show the photo album on the iPad in a place where there is no internet or cell phone service. Maybe there is an app that can create a photo album which resides on the iPad?

 

[LannyC]

There sure is. It's called Pholium, and it will do what you wish with a fair amount of flexibility, by creating an electronic "book" of photos and text. It will also let you share your stuff online, but that's not required. I can hand my iPad to a friend and he can follow my vacation photos at his own pace without a running verbal commentary from me (always a good thing!). Pholium is free, BTW.

Disclaimer: I am a Pholium beta tester, but not compensated by nor otherwise affiliated with the publisher.

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[ardchoille]

I'm pretty much a noob iPad user so.....

I'd like to have a small web site on my iPad and be able to access it via Safari without any internet connectivity.

After doing some research I'm pretty well convinced it can't be done - there is no visible file system so there is no place to put the folder containing the web site files. I tried putting the folder on DropBox but I couldn't get a link to a local copy, only a link to the on-line version. I've also discovered that DropBox on the iPad seems to have local copies of some things but not of all things. I tested by turning on airplane mode and then accessing items in Dropbox on the iPad. Some things were available and some were not.

I'm out of luck, right?

--Larry

PS: Maybe a statement of my real objective would be useful. I want to display a photo album on the iPad, which includes navigation, thumbnails and photo captions. I want to show the photo album on the iPad in a place where there is no internet or cell phone service. Maybe there is an app that can create a photo album which resides on the iPad?

As far as having a local website on the iPad, sadly it cannot be done. I had tried doing this with a custom portal page (list of favorite links) to open in safari without net access and it can't be done. The issue has to do with the way files are arranged and accessed on iDevices.

 

[larrymcg]

LannyC, If I may ask a question about Pholium - My photos will be edited (Photoshop Elements) on a WinXP PC and will have captions in the jpg metadata. So it is important that the iPad app pick up and display the captions that are already in the jpg file. I've been looking at the Pholium info and it appears to me that it doesn't. So, I'd have to enter the captions into the Pholium app. Even worse, I'm wondering if the captions even get to the iPad? The photos would go to the iPad via Dropbox and then into the Photos app.

Thanks for any info you can provide on this,
--Larry

 

[twerppoet]

HTML Presenter.

It's not easy to use, and the presentation isn't always perfect, but you can package an HTML site for local viewing on the iPad. I've done it for the RV Park's site, and it works ok. I tried in on an HTML book I had, with less useful results.

You'll need a DropBox account to sync the presentations to the app, but once synced they no longer need an internet connection.


That said, there are lots of photo album apps. I'm sure you can find one you like.

 

[LannyC]

I think all metadata is preserved, but Pholium will not use it for anything, so you'd need to type or paste your text manually. I've been known to add brief captions directly to slideshow images in Photoshop or Fireworks. I typically use white type with a black glow.

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[chriscarrie]

You may have to go into MAMP and change your document root to a new directory any time you want to test a different site.