WCAS NU

Defining Sites in Dreamweaver

In Dreamweaver, a site is a collection of pages and other files that make up your web site. Defining your site tells Dreamweaver:

  • Where to store files while you're editing them (locally)
  • Where to upload files so they can be viewed on the web (remotely)

Before you define your site, you should have already received a username, password, and folder from Weinberg Web Communications. If you do not have this information, e-mail web@wcas.northwestern.edu or visit the Contact Us page.

Note: For faculty pages, see Defining a Site in Dreamweaver for the Faculty Web Server

  1. Launch Dreamweaver
  2. Under the Site menu, choose Manage Sites...
  3. Click the New... button, select Site
  4. Enter a name for your site. Click Next >
  5. Choose No... when asked about server technologies. Click Next >
  6. Choose Edit local copies on my machine... when asked how you want to work with your files
  7. If you already have your files downloaded or if you want Dreamweaver to store your files in a different folder than the one it selected, click the folder icon to choose a new location. Click Next >
  8. Choose FTP when asked how you connect to your remote server. Enter the following information into the boxes that appear:

    Hostname: www.wcas.northwestern.edu
    Folder**: /live/YOUR_FOLDERNAME
    FTP login: USERNAME
    FTP password: PASSWORD
    Use Secure FTP: on (checked)

    Click Next >

    **You can find your folder in the list of folders.

  9. When asked about enabling check in and check out, most users should answer No, do not enable. If you are one of many people editing your site and there is a possibility that two of you might work on the same files at the same time, enable check in and check out. Click Next >
  10. Review all the information. Click Done

Local View or Remote View?

Local view shows the files you've downloaded to your computer. Remote view shows the files on the server. Edits should always be made to a local copy of your files (see downloading) then uploaded to the server (see uploading). Change to Local view (far right of screen).

Screenshot: Switching to remote view
Switching to remote view (Windows PC)