Follow this step by step guide on how to create a site in Dreamweaver CS3 using the basic tab. In this example, we will be setting up a site called databasepack.com on a PHP/mySQL Linux/GNU server, although the instructions are applicable for any server model and scripting language. The few bits of information you must have to follow along is your FTP address (which could be your domain name), your login and password.
As with many functions in Dreamweaver, there are two ways to access the site functions, either from the Site menu on the main menu bar or the Files panel, site dropdown.
Image 1: The Site Menu
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Image 2: The File Panel
This will open up the Site Definition interface, which looks like:
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Image 3: Site Definition interface
The two important bits of information to enter on this panel include the site name and the site HTTP Address (URL). We will enter "Database Packs" for the site name and the full URL for the HTTP Address, http://www.databasepack.com.
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Image 4: Site Name
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Image 5: HTTP Address
Click the Next > button and the server-side technologies panel will load. It looks like:
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Image 6: The Server language selection
We want to click on the second radio button (to indicate we want a server technology), like so:
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Image 7: Selecting the server technology
On the Which server technology? dropdown, we want to select the last option, PHP MySQL, as shown below in Image 8. Then we want to click the Next > button again.
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Image 8: The available server technologies
Note: Selecting "No, I do not want to use a server technology" changes the next page as well. The difference for your site is the file extension Dreamweaver makes new pages with is .htm (or .html depending on your setup) instead of .php, .asp or .cfm and the server behaviors and database features of Dreamweaver won't be enabled.
Our next option is on how to work with the files during development. This will determine how previews work and if you have a staging/test server or just a production server. If you have a server setup on your local machine, you can select the first option. If you have a server set up on a direct network connection (in your office, for example, you could open up the folder to the root directory of the web site using your network connections). In most cases, you will edit them locally and then upload them to a remote server, which is the default option selected when the panel loads. The only thing we want to change is where the files are stored on your local machine - click the folder icon and navigate (or create) the folder where you would like the files stored. Click the Next > button when done.
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Image 9: Server and local file setup
Now you should have following panel to work with:
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Image 10: Testing files setup
Select the FTP option in the How do you connect to your testing server? option.
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Image 11: FTP option selection
This changes the panel to include the form fields for the FTP connection and it looks like the below now:
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Image 12: FTP connection options
The entries for the FTP include the FTP address, folder the files are stored in and the FTP login and password. The FTP address in most cases could be the domain name - check with your hosting company if they have a special FTP address for you to use or check your control panel for the FTP setup. FTP addresses, for example, could be ftp.databaseback.com instead of the www.databasepack.com. On a lot of Linux/GNU servers, the web site root folder is the public_html folder. Your server may have a different folder name or no folder name. Lastly, the FTP login and password settings need to be entered, these are from your hosting company. If you do not share your PC with anyone, click the Save checkbox. If you do share your PC with someone and you don't want them to have the ability to FTP to this web site, uncheck the Save button. Once you've got the FTP set up, click on the Test Connection button to make sure everything works. Click the Next > button to continue.
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Image 13: FTP address
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Image 14: Remote folder entry
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Image 15: Password and Login settings
Finishing up the testing files settings, Dreamweaver needs to set up the URL root folder for your site. The following panel will load up for us to make the needed changes:
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Image 16: Finishing up on the testing panels
It will append the domain web address with the folder from the prior panels and, in our case, gives us http://www.databasepack.com/public_html/ (as seen in Image 17). Since the server puts up at the folder below where the server stores the web site, we need to use the public_html folder to get Dreamweaver to be in sync with the web server files. Here, we need to correct the folder name by removing it, so Dreamweaver will know that the index.php in our local root folder is the index.php home page for the site. Simply put, just remove the public_html/ from the entry (as shown in Image 18).
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Image 17: The default URL from Dreamweaver
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Image 18: The corrected URL for Dreamweaver
Setting up the Check-in/out and sharing files options - the next panel has the options set for this.
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Image 19: Sharing files panel
If you do not need to share files, just click the Next > button. Otherwise, change the option to Yes, enable check in and check out. Then the panel will change to include the options for the check in and out. I would leave the second option as is, when you get a file from the server, you should check it out. The two textfields are for your name and email address. This is so others who need to check out a file you have checked out know who you are and have a way to get in touch (on the off chance you forgot about the file and didn't check it back in or an emergency edit needs to occur and they want to let you know that the file will be changed, etc). When done, click the Next > button.
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Image 20: Check in and Check out options
Finally! We are at the summary of the site setup. Quickly review the information and determine if anything needs to be changed and, if so, use the < Back button to go back to the panel that would need to be changed. Once you are satisfied, click on the Done button.
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Image 21: Summary panel
Once you have set up the site, you can find it in the Files panel, as shown in Image 22. With sites you are able to have Dreamweaver's site functionality and features work for you—paths are easier to deal with (no more file://|// type stuff in your image names) and you can make your server-side technologies work! Happy site building!
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Image 22: Finding the site in the files panel
Keywords
site, dreamweaver, site setup, New site
