How to use port number with hosts file?

The hosts file fulfills the same role as the DNS server - translating the names into IP addresses. The port is separate, e.g. mysite:6969. If the port were included in the host record, you'd be unableto  SPECIFY a port (e.g. mysite:6969:1234).

Right, the host port thing doesn't work.   I'm currently running websites from VS.NET 2008 using cassini.  I'd like to run them off of IIS (6.0) on XP.  From VS.NET, the URL looks like this:

http://localhost:3378

when I want something like this

myownwebsite

I've setup a virutal folder in IIS but this still creates a url like this:

http://localhost/myownwebsite

The goal is to have people with different machines always be able to access this url

http://myownwebsite

and it will point to whatever url they have mapped locally.  Some examples are:

http://myownwebsite  <- http://localhost:3378
http://myownwebsite  <- http://dev.myownwebsite.com

Having myownwebsite in a config file keeps from having to know what the specific environment is doing with their webserver.

  I could see what he would want to to it. Less typing. Lets face it we all "play" with things so see what we can get away with. Specifying an entire socket would 1) cut down on trying and 2) let him see if it could be done.

   This was totally non-destructive and I give him Kudos for going for it. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I'm coming from the server side, so I'm not 100% sure you have the same options on a local XP version, but...
If you can already get it to go to a virtual folder (http://localhost/myownwebsite) you should be able to make it a redirect instead, to another site on the same machine ("a redirection to a URL"); make it a permanent redirection and it will replace the URL in the address bar with the final one.  

Why does it need the port number, if it's going to be IIS? If it's because 80 is used or blocked, and you absolutely have to use the different port, I don't think you're going to be able to hide it.

I can't do a redirection because that will modify the app.  This is a local configuration issue that should go along with the app.  The port number isn't needed anymore since I'm using IIS.  I was just asking the question because I could never get it to work no matter what I tried.

So, to use a variable such as myownwebsite, which everyone will use, I need a mapping.  This allows myownwebsite to point to the URL of the local machine no matter what that url looks like.  BUT, I don't know how to encapsulate a URL into that variable.

If you are redirection from something like localhost/mysite, than that isn't a variable.

This looks promising http://andreineculau.wordpress.com/2006/01/23/multiple-websites-using-iis-51-on-windows-xp/.  The script she provides doesn't work on XP.  I've provided a version referencing cscript.   When I try to start site2, I get this error:

The service did not response to start or control request in a timely fashion.

The first site starts fine.   Any ideas?

C:\Inetpub\AdminScripts>adsutil.vbs create_vserv W3SVC/2
 
C:\Inetpub\AdminScripts>cscript adsutil.vbs create_vserv W3SVC/2
Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 
created "W3SVC/2"
 
C:\Inetpub\AdminScripts>cscript adsutil.vbs copy W3SVC/1 W3SVC/2"
Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 
copied from /W3SVC/1 to /W3SVC/2"
 
C:\Inetpub\AdminScripts>cscript adsutil.vbs delete W3SVC/2
Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 
deleted path "W3SVC/2"
 
C:\Inetpub\AdminScripts>

                                              

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My fault.  Notice the double quotes after the number 2.  Shouldn't be there.  Works fine otherwise.