How To Use the Site Management Window in Dreamweaver v4

Use the Site Management Window in Dreamweaver 4

Dreamweaver has it's own FTP capabilities built into the program. This features makes it easy to upload, download, and maintain your web pages. Using the Site Window can be easy if you follow these steps.

Refer to: How To Create a Site Management File in Dreamweaver for information on setting up the Site Manager. This must be completed before proceeding.

When transferring files between local and remote sites, Dreamweaver maintains identical directory structures to ensure that links and references are not accidentally broken. If directories do not exist on the site where files are being transferred, Dreamweaver automatically creates them.

Dreamweaver includes a number of features for structuring a site, navigating within and between documents, and transferring files to a remote server. To make collaborative work on a web site easier, you can check in and check out files on the remote server to prevent others from working on the same files at the same time.

Dreamweaver does not perform version control, nor does it remove files or folders on the remote server that no longer exist in the local root folder.

Also refer to Dreamweaver's Help files for more information.

Site Management Window Options

Putting Files on the Server

Getting Files from the Server

Site Management window options

Use the Site window for standard file maintenance operations, such as creating new HTML documents, moving files, creating folders, and deleting items; for storyboarding with the site map; and for transferring files between your local and remote sites. By default, the remote site (or site map) appears in the left pane, and the local site appears in the right pane. You can change this setting in the Site FTP preferences.

To open the Site window choose Window > Site Files, and then choose from the following options:

Connect/Disconnect (available with FTP setting only) Connects to or disconnects from the remote site. By default, Dreamweaver disconnects from the remote site if it has been idle for more than 30 minutes. Choose Edit > Preferences and select Site FTP to change the time limit.

Get Copies the selected files from the remote site to your local site. If Enable File Check In and Check Out is on, the local copies are read-only; the files remain available on the remote site for other team members to check out. If file check in and check out is turned off, getting a file transfers a copy that has both read and write privileges. See Getting files from a remote server.

Put Copies the selected files from the local site to the remote site without changing the file's checked-in or checked-out status. See Putting files on a remote server.

Current sites list Lists remote sites you've defined. To switch sites, select a different site from the list. To add a site or edit the information for an existing site, choose Define Sites from the bottom of the list (see Create a Site Management File).

Site Files View Changes the remote pane of the Site window so that it displays the file structure of the remote site. This is the default view for the Site window.

Site Map View Changes the remote pane of the Site window so that it displays a visual map of your site based on how the documents are linked to one another. Hold down the button to choose Map Only or Map and Files from the pop-up menu.

Stop Current Task Aborts any current activity, including getting and putting files. The button appears as a red X in the lower right corner.

Putting Files on the Remote Server - (Uploading Files)

Putting files or uploading files on the server actually copies them from the local site (your hard drive) to the remote site.

Dreamweaver records all file transfer activity. If an error occurs when you are transferring a file, the Site FTP log can help you determine the problem. To display the log, choose Window > FTP Log from the Site window (Windows) or Site > FTP Log (Macintosh).

Note: Do not use high ASCII characters (for example, é, ç, ¥) in the names of files you intend to put on a remote server. Many servers will convert these characters during upload and cause any links to the files to break.

Note: Click Stop Current Task (the red X in the lower right corner) or press Esc to abort the file transfer.

1	Choose Window > Site Files to open the Site window.
2	At the top of the Site window, choose the desired site from the Sites list pop-up menu.
3	Click Connect to open a connection to the remote server.
	Skip this step, if a connection is already open (the Connect button will say Disconnect instead).
4	Select the desired file(s) from the Local Folder pane on the right.
5	Click Put, or right-click and choose Put from the shortcut menu.
6	Click OK at the prompt to upload any dependent files.
7	Click Disconnect when finished.

Getting Files from the Remote Server - (Downloading Files)

Getting files or downloading files from the remote server copies them from the remote site to the local site (your hard drive).

Dreamweaver records all file transfer activity. If an error occurs when you are transferring a file, the Site FTP log can help you determine the problem. To display the log, choose Window > FTP Log from the Site window (Windows) or Site > FTP Log (Macintosh).

Note: Click Stop Current Task (the red X in the lower right corner) or press Esc to abort the file transfer.

1	Choose Window > Site Files to open the Site window.
2	At the top of the Site window, choose the desired site from the Sites list pop-up menu.
3	Click Connect to open a connection to the remote server.
	Skip this step if a connection is already open (the Connect button will say Disconnect instead).
4	Select the desired file(s) from the Remote Site pane on the left side.
5	Click Get, or right-click and choose Get from the shortcut menu.
6	Click OK at the prompt to download any dependent files.
7	Click Disconnect when finished.

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How To Use the Site Window in Dreamweaver (jsw)
11/18/03