This is a guide on how to code and put up your very own DSi-compatible site. What I'm going to describe here doesn't involve website-building tools like Weebly or Wix. Those are still very much viable, as I know a couple of people here that have gone down that route. It's easy to pick up, but I make no guarantees as to whether it will be compatible with the DSi.

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The service I use is called Heroku. It's completely free to use non-commercially (which is partly why I use it), but it has some catches. For non-programmers, it's finicky to set up. Also, it limits uptime for free websites that you create, although you can extend that time by linking a credit card to your account.

If you're planning to use a server-side application (like Spring Boot, Node.js, or, god forbid, PHP) to help with your web app, you can follow the tutorials that Heroku provides to get started. They lay it out pretty well, and if you're nerdy enough to know what I'm talking about, you should be perfectly fine.

However, if you're only interested in a static website, you can reference this webpage for guidance.

Anyhow, whatever you want to do, you will need to create a Git repository, which is its own can of worms. If you know all about that, cool; otherwise, you'll need to do the following:

- Create a GitHub account

- Create your first repository, and name it something good

- Dump some code in there; your website, in this case

Note that you can also directly edit code on GitHub, but the text editor is gnarly.

Once that's been taken care of, you'll need to sync that repository with the Heroku web app. You can do that with the Heroku CLI (which I am NOT going to go into detail about), or simply hooking your Github repository to your app, which is under Settings, and then committing a change to the repository.

That's your exoskeleton done. From here, you can add in more things as you develop your site. As you save your changes to your GitHub repository (or via CLI), all changes should automatically be reflected in your website.

You've gotten far now. Be sure to congratulate yourself. The battle's only begun, though. Making your wild dreams materialize in a manner that the DSi accept is a dark art.

A word on DSi compatibility:
The DSi, as far as I know, was not meant to be pushed this hard. This technology is also extremely old, so many things are slow or just not supported. I attempted to curate a list of the DSi browser's shortcomings, and they're not pretty. May the workarounds be with you.

While we're on the topic of using a DSi, this entire process needs to be done on a PC or other computer. If you thought you could launch your own site from a DSi or from a phone, I'm afraid to tell you that you're limited by the technology of your time. However, I am currently working on a tool that will allow anyone to edit a Git repository online, even with a DSi. You can track my progress at DSi World. You will need to create an account, as that's how data is stored. A working email is optional, for those wondering.

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I hope I wasn't overly confusing. Me being me, though, it probably was gibberish for y'all. If you do try this and are confused, don't be afraid to type a comment on this blog (or send a private message to me) that asks questions. I'll be more than glad to help you out.

Cheers!