Setup Dreamweaver


Define a Site with Secure FTP to help manage editing and uploading

  1. Launch Dreamweaver and navigate to SiteNew Site… or SiteManage Sites… or on the Files window, click on the Manage Sites button.
    • In the Site Setup screen:
      • Name the site (this is a name that will show up in your list of sites). OSU Students name it ONID.
      • In the Local Site Folder field, choose (or make) a folder on you local hard drive that will be for your site. DO NOT choose a folder on a server; Dreamweaver doesn’t like it.
      • Dreamweaver CS 5 site set up screen
    • In the Servers menu:
      • Click the + box to get to the FTP screen.
      • Name the server (for OSU students this would be ONID or ENGR).
      • Choose SFTP from the dropdown menu.
      • Add the FTP address, which is the server’s domain; something like:
        • shell.onid.oregonstate.edu
      • Add your web hosting account User ID and Password.
      • Add the Root Directory name, which is usually something like:
        • public_html (OSU students use this one.)
        • http-docs/www/
      • Dreamweaver server setup screen
      • Dreamweaver SFTP set up
  2. Once you’ve set up this FTP information, you don’t have to do it again.
    • Any files you add to your local site will be ready to upload to the remote site via the Put buttons.
    • To make uploading to the server very easy, set up your working area so the remote (server) and local (hard drive) file lists are always visible:
      • ViewFiles.
      • Click the Expand to show local and remote sites button Dreamweaver Expand Files icon.
      • Dreamweaver File view
    • Now, you’ll be able to drag and drop files from the hard drive (the LOCAL file list) to the server (the REMOTE file list) and confirm that your file structure is the same on both.
    • You can also use the Put and Get buttons to transfer files from the hard drive and server.
      • Get files from the server or Put files on the server.
    • And, I highly recommend clicking Control/CommandS then Control/CommandShiftU to save and upload using the keyboard. This will reduce stress on your mousing/tracking hand.
  3. Making and editing files
    • Right click on the root folder to make a new folder.
    • Right-click on a folder to make a new file within that new folder.
    • Edit code in the Code screen, not in the Design screen.
  4. Back up.
    • Think of the local site files on the hard drive as your working copy and the remote files on the web server as your backup.
    • But you must (you must) back up your files to another disk each session you work. Why? If you haven’t lost important files yet in your life, you will some day. You have been warned. 😉

Published by

Pam Van Londen

OSU Computer Science Instructor