how to move a apache localhost website to internet (i.e remote server)

Question

i have few conceptual queries about moving a locahost site to server for making it available on internet.....what are the steps...how server will recognize the changes in my apache and php config files..i have built a website in php and mysql on apache 2.2

NOTES:

• i have made some changes in my apache config files.one of them is i have included a fillename "index.php" in "DirectoryIndex"...so now my DirectoryIndex looks like:

  <IfModule dir_module>
      DirectoryIndex index.html index.php
  </IfModule>
  

• so now automatically my apache tells the browser to search for a index.php file whenever header('LOCATION:') or refresh is called.and it's obvious that my index.php files holdas the html and and other php codes which will be shown or displayed

• third and most importantly...i have used header function in many cases while building the website..my header functions are like header('Location: http://localhost/home/');

so repeating the question again

• should i change all the header functions while uploading acording to my website name i.e

  header('Location: http://www.my_site_name.com/home/'); in place of

  header('Location: http://localhost/home/');

• and who will my remote server will recognize the changes i have made in my config file and will work according to the changes
• and what are the steps to upload a website to internet

Answer 1

and who will my remote server will recognize the changes i have made in my config file and will work according to the changes

Normally hosting servers are configured to allow the use of .htaccess files to override apache configuration

you may create a .htaccess file in your root directory and place there your DirectoryIndex settings

Answer 2

should i change all the header functions while uploading acording to my website name i.e header('Location: http://www.my_site_name.com/home/'); in place of header('Location: http://localhost/home/');

Why not using relative paths or simply:

header('Location: /home/');

and who will my remote server will recognize the changes i have made in my config file and will work according to the changes

That way, it'll work on both servers.

and what are the steps to upload a website to internet

You should use a FTP client to upload your website to your webhost.