If you're working in an intranet environment, then you might consider 
allowing the users to retrieve the documents using the "File" protocol in 
your hyperlink as opposed to the HTTP protocol.  The URL might look like 
this...

Assuming they have a Mapped Drive (M:) to the server: 

    File:\\M:\ShareName\Path\To\File.ext

Or using a UNC path (no mapping required):

     \\ServerName\ShareName\Path\To\File.ext

Both of these solutions assume you are working on a Microsoft OS on the 
client, Neither solution requires the web server (no virtual root issues), 
but note that the UNC approach won't work with Netscape.  This is only 
feasible in an Intranet environment when the user has shared access to the 
server.

BUT, your question is specifically regarding virtual paths... so here is 
the bottom line:

A user can't retrieve a file using HTTP unless the file exists within a 
directory that has Web Sharing turned on.  By adding files to your web 
project, you are effectively copying those files into a directory that is 
being served by your web application.  

Creating an HTTP web address to "open any file in a directory somewhere on 
the server" will only work if the directory in question has been 
configured as a virtual root (web sharing turned on).  This doesn't need 
to be the same virtual root as your web applicatoin (asp files), but it 
does need to exist within the IIS settings. Permissions are something you 
may need to deal with as well (by default, everyone has full control... so 
it shouldn't be a problem at first).

Here's what I recommend...  Assign a specific directory on your server as 
the storage location for all files that are uploaded and retrieved.  Let's 
call this the "library" folder.  

1) Using Internet Services Manager (IIS), create a new virtual root to 
serve the contents of the Library folder independent from your web App.

You could also visit the Library folder using Windows Explorer on the 
server, right mouse click -> Properties -> Web Sharing Tab, turn on "Share 
this Folder".  Assign a name for the virtual root like "VirtualLibrary".

2) Train your users to upload files only into the Library folder, and/or 
some sub-directory thereof. 

3) Either way, the path to your uploaded files will look similiar to:
http://ServerName/VirtualLibrary/Path/To/File.ext

while your web application might still look like:
http://ServerName/WebApplication/file.asp

Good luck,
Jim M.


> Hello,
> I am using Interdev and mainly ASP pages. I want to place links on a 
page 
> that when clicked open various files such as PDFs, txt, doc, etc.
> I am confused about how the virtual root directory works. I can create a 
> standard html <a href=... but that only works on files I have manually 
> placed into the web project. 
> I need to be able to open any file in a directory somewhere on the 
server 
> because the sites contents will be dynamic. The pages with the links are 
> dynamic and are constructed from a database, so the user can acces files 
> that they originally uploaded to our server.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike