# creating a root folder



## pshart3@mac.com (Feb 13, 2003)

Hello, I am on a G4. I am working with Dreamweaver, and I have just installed Complete php4. In Dreamweaver, as I am going through the tutorials, it says that after you have installed and tested your application server, to create a root folder. It goes into great detail about where to put this folder on a windows system but not a word about where to put it on a Mac.

I have figured out it is not the same thing as the local root folder (where you keep your working files of your web sites) because a little further on it says to now create a local root folder.

I have Apache2 and PHP4 both installed in /library. 

Can someone please help me figure this out? 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can.


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## chabig (Feb 13, 2003)

I'm not a Dreamweaver user, but I'll try to help...

Macromedia has a technote that has some good information at http://www.macromedia.com/support/dreamweaver/ts/documents/define_new_site.htm

It says:

"In order for Dreamweaver MX to keep track of links between web pages and dependent files, it is necessary to define a folder on the hard disk, or mapped drive, as the local root folder and to save all the files for the site in that folder. The local root folder should contain the web page files for the site as well as all images, cascading    style sheet (CSS) files, templates, and other dependent files."

So I think they are just asking you to create a folder somewhere on your hard drive to hold the files for a particular web site. They call this the local root folder, and I bet it is the same as the root folder. I suspect their choice in words is confusing. If the application itself does need a root folder, it would most likely go in /Library/ or ~/Library/

Where do they put the root folder on Windows?

Chris


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## pshart3@mac.com (Feb 13, 2003)

They put it in windows at = C:\inetpub\wwwroot\

Thanks for your input.


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## chabig (Feb 13, 2003)

Hmmm...that means nothing to me. Do you live in the Denver area?


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## pshart3@mac.com (Feb 14, 2003)

I live near Colorado Springs.


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## chabig (Feb 14, 2003)

I was just wondering. We have a users' group in the Tech Center area called Macintech. I'm sure we have members who use Dreamweaver. But I don't know who. I was going to suggest you send a query to our mailing list, but I think you should be able to find the answer online somewhere...have you tried Macromedia's forums?


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## pshart3@mac.com (Feb 14, 2003)

I have put a post on Macromedia, but no one has responded, either no one knows the answer to this or no one cares.

Thanks a lot for your input.


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## uoba (Feb 14, 2003)

Dreamweaver works with 3 folder systems:

1. Local root folder (where your working files exist)
2. Testing server (folder)... (where you test your web files prior to uploading to a live server, if on OSX, normally your Apache root folder).
3. Server... your live on-line server (final destination.)

For example:

I run all my projects/work off a separate hard drive titled ServerWork... therefore, as an example, I am working on Job number 323_ClientWebSite. All my prelim files, photoshop files, correspondence goes in this folder, as well as my local root folder for collating and storing all the intended html (php etc.) files for working and uploading/finalisation.

Now, to test these files on a fully-fledged www server, I nominate a subfolder within my Apache www (docs) folder (which I have moved via the httpd.conf file to a partition called WWW).

Finally, I can upload the final site via Dreamweavers FTP to a live server (which could also be my testing server if it is on a permanant on-line connection.)


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## pshart3@mac.com (Feb 14, 2003)

Thanks for your reply!  If Dreamweaver only works on 3 folder systems, then the root folder for the php application server must be referring to the folder /library/apache2/ht docs, anything in this folder can be published by apache2. I guess I will go forward with this assumption.

Again, thanks.


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## uoba (Feb 14, 2003)

That'll be your root testing server folder... and possibly your final server if you intend to serve on-line live from there.

/Library/Apache2/htdocs/ is the default location for Apache's web server location for your html, php files etc.

You can work off your work hard drive/folder with php files just fine, but Dreamweaver, upon clicking the sychronise button will upload your working files directly to the htdocs folder for testing (so as long as you specify the Apache htdocs folder as your testing server folder).


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