Create a Site Management File in Dreamweaver 4
To help you organize files on your system, Dreamweaver v4 re-creates the structure of the remote web site on your local system. The links you create at your local site continue to work on the remote site because the structure of the two sites is identical.
You create a local site in Dreamweaver by selecting a local root folder with the Define Sites command. You associate your local site with a remote server by selecting additional options in the Define Sites dialog box.
Dreamweaver v4 has its own FTP capabilities built into the program. This feature makes it easy to upload, download, and maintain your web pages.
Defining or Editing a Site
Note: If you are starting a new site, before opening Dreamweaver, you should create a folder for the site's data. This folder is called the Local Root Folder. If you have redirected My Documents, you should not create your Local Root Folder in the My Documents folder. Instead, create the folder in your Local Documents folder; or, create the folder on the C drive. Keep the foldername short. Don't use any special characters in the name as well. Examples, use your county name or an abbreviation of the site's full name.
Note: If you're setting up a new site, you need two things. First, a College of Ag Science AG account. Second, this AG account must be given permissions to access the correct folder on the College webserver. This folder is called the Host Directory and is mentioned below in step 9. If you are unsure what to enter in Step 9, contact IT via the Help Desk Submission Form. In the Problem Details field, enter "Website request" and then include the link to the site itself.
- Open Dreamweaver.
- If you are starting from scratch, choose Site and then Site Files. Double-click on the Define Sites drop-down list.
If you have already created a site and need to edit settings, from the Site menu choose Define Site.- The Site Definition dialog box appears.
- To add a new site, click New.
To edit a site, highlight its name and click Edit.
Note: If you are creating a new site, you should start at step 4. If you're editing an existing site, use the steps as needed. Example: if you need to update your AG password, start at step 6.
- Enter a site name. Example: Countyname (Armstrong) or an abbreviation of the site's full name (YET).
- In the Local Root Folder line, click the folder icon. Browse to and select your Local Root Folder. When you locate your local site folder and click OK or Select.
- In the Category list at the left, click Remote Info.
- From the Access drop-down list, choose FTP.
- Enter the FTP host as: webftp.cas.psu.edu
Note: The Host Directory entry in Step 9 is the "path" to your site's folder on the webserver. IT should have provided this information to you when the site was created.
County Extension office sites use this pattern:
/coext/countyname/ Examples: /coext/greene/ or /coext/wayne/
Department websites use this pattern: /casdept/sitename/ Examples: /casdept/das/ or /casdept/ipm/
- Enter the Host Directory for your site. It should start and end with a forward slash /.
- In the Login box, enter AG\ followed by your AG account Userid. Example: AG\jsw1024
- If you're setting up a new site, enter your AG password (this may be different than your PSU password).
If you're editing an existing site and need to update your AG password, delete the current saved password. Then reenter your new AG password. - Place a check in the Password's Save box.
- Place a check in the Use Passive FTP box.
- Click OK.
- If you're setting up a new site, Dreamweaver should ask if you want to cache the site. This allows Dreamweaver to do a lot of things automatically (i.e., check dependent files, update/correct links, etc.). Click Create or OK.
- In the Define Sites dialog box, click Done.
- Your Web Directory should appear in the Site list now.
- The Site directory for the site now appears on the right.
10/13/2008 Update: To use FTP from a non-PSU network back to Web-Server to upload files you must use the PSU VPN client to create a secure connection to the Penn State network. The use of FTP back to Web-Server from anywhere within a PSU or county network is fully functional.