Configuring Dreamweaver For FTP
Macromedia Dreamweaver is
a great Web publishing program. It's great for creating simple changes
to managing sites with thousands of pages. This tutorial will show you
set up your site in Dreamweaver and how to upload your Web pages to
our Web servers.
If you don't have Dreamweaver and you would like to download a trial
or purchase it, go here: http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/
A Web site consists of a series of files that ultimately all reside in one folder. The folder on the local computer that contains all the files for a site is called the local root folder, and Dreamweaver must know its location to utilize site management capabilities. The local root folder can live anywhere on the workstation's hard drive.
Once the basic site definition has been established, new pages can be created and files from an existing site can be downloaded to the local root folder if working on an existing site.
Note: It is not recommended to define the Dreamweaver application folder as a site's local root folder, because it also contains all the files for the program itself. Only files that are related to a site should be in the folder, because the contents will eventually be uploaded to a server. Never save work in the Dreamweaver's application folder.
To establish a site in Dreamweaver, do the following:
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Choose Window > Site Files |
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In the Site Window, select the pop-up menu next to the connect button. Choose the bottom option, Define Sites. |
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The Define Sites dialog box appears. Select the New button. |
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The Site Definition dialog box appears. Type the name of the site into the field next to Site Name. The name of the site is for organizational purposes only, and will not appear on any of the pages when previewed in a browser. |
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Next, select the file folder icon to the right of the field Local Root Folder. The Choose Local Folder dialog box appears. Navigate and select the folder that contains all the site files. After choosing the Select button, the dialog box closes. |
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In the Site Definition dialog box, a path now exists in the field next to Local Root Folder. This path is essential for Dreamweaver to maintain the site structure. If the location of the Local Root Folder changes, repeat step number 5. |
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Note: A copy of the contents of the local root folder will probably be transferred to a L A Bridege server so that others may view the Web pages once they have been completed. The next steps provide information for configuring the Web Server Information. Select the Web Server Info category. The Site Definition window changes to provide the choice of server access. Select FTP since the files will be transferred to a L A Bridge Web server. |
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Now enter the server information into the appropriate fields in the Web Server info area. L
A Bridge FTP Settings: The Login & Password is your user name and password that you supplied when you signed up with L A Bridge Internet & DSL. The FTP Host, Login and Password fields are required. The server is configured to automatically route the you to the correct directory by default, so the Host Directory field can be left blank. If the local root folder and remote directory information are defined correctly when the files are selected and the Put button is clicked, the files will be transferred onto the server and the structure on the local machine and on the server will mirror each other automatically. This ensures that the links will work correctly. Note: Dreamweaver transfers the files in binary mode. Some documents require a different transfer method, or if a proxy server is being employed, another FTP client such as WS FTP or Fetch may also be used to upload the files. |
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Select OK to close the Site Definition dialog box. Then choose Done to close the Define Sites dialog box. Note: The other two categories, Check In/Out and Site Map Layout are optional. Specifying the information is not required when defining a site. If desired, the information can be accessed at a later time through the Define Sites dialog box. |
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The Site Window now displays the contents of the local root folder. The local root folder displays on the right side of the site window by default, you can change this in the preferences. The path to the local root folder will be visible at the top, if the folder contains any subfolders and files they will be listed below. |
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The site has now been defined. Existing files can be opened by either double clicking on the file name or icon in the Site Window, or by selecting File > Open. |
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To Connect to the server simply click Connect in the site window. Once connected to the Web server then simply drag & drop your Web files to the server, or click Put to move files to the server. |
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Create new files by selecting File > New. It is important to save each HTML page right away because Dreamweaver cannot perform some functions on a page until it is saved. Therefore, immediately after creating a new document, it is suggested to save each file inside the Local Root Folder by choosing File > Save. |
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Your all done. For more help on Dreamweaver visit the help section by choosing Help > Using Dreamweaver. |