Adobe Dreamweaver CS3
Local & Remote Sites: An Overview
Before using local and remote sites in Dreamweaver, it is important to understand exactly what they are. It is also important to be aware of the tools available when managing files and developing web pages.
Understanding the Local & Remote Sites
Dreamweaver allows you to work with local sites and remote sites. Since remote sites are less complex, they are introduced first in this section.
The Remote Site
Remote sites include the files and folders available for your site's visitors to view. This is commonly referred to as the live area. In most cases on this campus, remote sites are accessed by connecting to Lucy, the campus web server. Websites stored off campus typically are accessed using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). With some exceptions, it is recommended that you do not edit pages directly on the remote site. This recommendation will help you avoid placing incomplete or incorrect pages online.
The Local Site
A local site, commonly referred to as the working area of a website, consists of all files and folders associated with a website. The local site includes all files, even the web pages that are in development, and is not accessible to the public. These files and folders mirror the files and folders on the remote site. Using a local site has the following advantages:
- Helps to avoid placing incomplete or incorrect pages online by allowing the files to be edited and tested before transferring them to the remote server.
- Serves as a backup of the files on the remote server.
There are two types of local sites: multi-user and single-user.
Local Site: Multiple Users
This type of local site allows multiple web developers to access and make changes to the same set of files. Typically located on a department share drive or on Lucy (the campus web server), these local sites act as reviewing areas. For example, the Financial Aid website consists of hundreds of files. Since many people edit these files, it is appropriate to have a local site which is accessible to multiple users through a shared location. The local site for Financial Aid is stored on a Lucy drive that all department web developers have access to.
Local Site: Single Users
This type of site is maintained by a single web developer and therefore it can be placed in a variety of areas. Since it is for a single web developer, usually it is placed on the web developer's S: or H: drive. Each web developer can decide what location works best for him or her.
These types of local sites are used when a website is not large enough to merit access by multiple individuals through a shared location (e.g., test server or department share drive) or when such a site is unavailable. For example, Learning and Technology Services (LTS) maintains a relatively small website; therefore, it does not need a test server. Instead, each LTS web developer has devoted space on his or her S: or H: drive to create, edit, and test files before transferring them to the LTS website.
Considerations for Development
How your web pages are edited and developed will vary depending on a variety of factors. Consider asking yourself the following questions when developing a website.
-
How large is the website?
If your website is only a few pages, it may be easier for you to simply edit them directly on the remote site. However, a larger site would benefit from using Dreamweaver's local and remote sites. -
Will the website have multiple developers?
Depending on the size of the website, websites with multiple developers may want have a shared local site. -
How extensive are the changes?
If the changes made to the site are very minimal, working directly on the remote site may be fine. However, if your site requires extensive (e.g., redesign) changes, it may be best to work on a local site and, when finished, move the files to the remote site. -
How often is the site updated?
Some websites are updated daily. Others are updated monthly or even less often. If changes are made frequently to the website, you may want to implement a local and a remote site to reduce the likelihood of placing an erroneous page on the website. -
Will there be two or more people working on the same file?
If your local site is shared, then Dreamweaver does not have built-in capability to control who may open a file for editing. If your local site is not shared, Dreamweaver controls who can open a file for editing using the Check In/Check Out feature.
File Management Tools
Dreamweaver provides a host of file management tools. The following documents contain information on file and site management tools:
- Working with Local & Remote Sites
This document includes instructions on getting files, putting files, and synchronizing sites. - Using Cloaking to Exclude Folders from Site Operations
This document contains information on Dreamweaver's Cloak feature. - Templates: An Overview
This document explains how to use templates to keep pages in your site consistent. - Working with Assets
This document discusses Dreamweaver's assets and explains how to add frequently used assets to your Favorites list. - Library Basics
This document explains how to add frequently used items to your Library folder.
