Define a Site in Dreamweaver

The very first thing you have to do before working for your site with Dreamweaver which associated with PHP is to define your site. Whatever your site  is static or dynamic with application server this part is same for all. From Dreamweaver menu go to site-->new site. Alternatively you can go there form site-->Manage site-->new

Define a site in dreamweaver

Then in the site setup dialogue first you need to set the site name and a local folder for your site. Site name can written with spaces. The site folder must be the physical folder of the local root.

Manage Site Setup

Now let see the other options in site setup dialogue. From server tab you can define your Remote and Testing server. Remote server where you host for external user and testing server for running test on local PC. The version control category let you connect with a sub version of you site. So you can manage your site files by creating versions of them, and also can roll back in some previous version in case of any fault. And in advance setting there are some settings that are specific to application server.

Now click on Save and create the new site. Now you will see your local file listing in the left bottom of dreamweaver. I  always use App Developer Plus work environment in Dreamweaver. I also all to use this.

Now the site definition is completed and the work begins. Now we see how we will configure Dreamweaver PHP server with new Local server for test our work locally.

Configure a PHP testing server in Dreamweaver

To create a Dreamweaver site that is intend work with PHP then you need to follow some additional steps. But before configuring PHP server you need set your Define your Dreamweaver site first. In previous article we see how to create a site. Now we will see how to configure PHP server for this site.
First from Dreaweaver CS5 site menu go to site-->Manage Site then click on Edit.

Manage Site

Then form the site setup dialogue go to the server category. Click on the PLUS sign on the bottom.

Server Setup

Now as I am going to work with My Local Apache server hence I do the following things. On the server name give a server name. I put it as Local server. On the Connect using drop down menu Select Local Network. Now In server folder you need specify the path. If you use WAMP server on windows then browse to the path "c:\wamp\www" and on MAC using MAMP it will be MAC:/Applications/MAMP/htdocs. Here I am working on windows and with WAMP. Then create a new folder, it will be your testing folder. Then click open and then click select. The web URL will be the same for both MAMP or WAMP it will be http://localhost/mysite as I named the testing folder inside www folder as mysite. Changed it with your given name.

Server Setup

 Now click at Advanced tab. Don't worry about the remote server settings as we are now only setting the testing server only. So under testing server pull down under Testing server mode. Then select PHP MySQL from the Server Model.

Advance Setup

Click on save then you will returned to the server category in setup dialogue in server list. Here with your new server selected uncheck remote and check Testing. This means this server will only be used as testing server.

Testing Server

Now if all task are accomplished as said as above then you are ready to create your own PHP page through Dreamweaver.