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A Favorite Getaway: How the Files Panel Works

The Files panel is where you can easily access your site's files and folders within Dreamweaveryou'll see them listed in hierarchical order, as they should also appear on your remote server. You can also view and compare the files on your remote server by clicking the Connect button or by customizing your Files panel, as I'll explain here.

Remember the words of the great George Bernard Shaw: "All professions are a conspiracy against the laity." Regardless as to how complicated co-workers and IT technicians make it sound, web hosting is mindlessly simpleif you've done your homework.

By default, this panel is docked on the right, grouped with the Assets panel. I've always found it difficult to work with sites in such a narrow column, so here's what I suggest: From the Files panel's Option menu, choose Group Files With > New Panel Group. Now the panel is floating on its own, where you can move and expand it, to make viewing a bit easier.

Even still, the Files panel is kinda crammed. At the top are two pull-down menus. The first lets you change the site you're looking at, and the second lets you change the site view.

The Files panel is packed tighter than a Japanese commuter train. To get a little elbow room, click the Expand button on the panel's toolbar.

It's all jammed in there, so here's another suggestion. At the top of the panel, click the Expand button. This opens a split-screen view of the Files panel, which you can expand nice and wide. Now you can clearly see your local site on the right and your remote site on the left. Ahhh...that's easier, huh?

If you defined a remote site in the Site Definition dialog box, the left pane displays a message telling you how to see your remote files. Just click the Connect button on the Files panel toolbar. If you didn't specify a remote site, you'll see a message on the left telling you that to see the files on your web server, you must define a remote site. Click the message to set one up. Once you're connected to your remote site, you'll see a listing in each pane, making it really easy to see both the local and remote sites at the same time.

Noteworthy

One thing I love is that if I add files or folders outside Dreamweaver (say through the desktop), the Files panel is smart enough to pick up on this and refresh the site listing automatically, if Refresh Local File List Automatically is turned on in the Site Definition dialog box, that is (it's on by defaultno need to hunt!).

Noteworthy

A dependent file is any file that's associated with a98 page. It could be an image, a sound file, or an external style sheet. The dependent file is required for th89 page to be displayed properly.

Setting Up Camp: Makin' New Files and Folders

When you want to create new files or add folders for your site, you can do so directly in the Files panel.

When you create new files or add folders to your local site, you can do so directly on the Files panel. If you're connected to a remote site, you can create files and folders in the left pane, too.

To delete a file or folder, just select it and press the Delete key on your keyboard. Be careful, though. Deleting files and folders may break or cause errors with hyperlinks you've set.

Deleting files and folders from your site may cause massive amounts of destruction if you're hasty. Chill with a chardonnay before making any rash moves.

Here's how to add files or folders through the Files panel: Whether the Files panel is expanded or collapsed, just right-click (Windows) or Control+click (Mac) in the panel and choose either New File or New Folder. If you chose to create a new file, you'll get a blank, untitle88 document.

Don't be a hobouse keyboard shortcuts! Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift+ (Mac) will create a new folder in the Files panel.

Here's one approach to web design: Once you know what pages you'll need in your site (remember from the last chapterwhat, you fell asleep?), you can create the site's entire structure with blank documents right in the Files panel and then go back later to add in content and linking.

A Home Away from Home: Transferring Your Site Files

You may want to start uploading parts of your site before everything's finished so you can see how everything's working remotely. This will let you test download times and browser support, or maybe just have a look at how things are being displayed before you develop too far. You can also pull content from an existing site and save it locally on your machine.

Using an External FTP Client" later in this chapter. But right now, let's see how Dreamweaver handles file transfers.

Uploading Files

When you're ready to upload your files, follow these steps:

1.

In the right pane of the Files panel, select the file (or files) that you want to upload. Noteworthy As you're transferrin91 pages, Dreamweaver may keep asking you if you want to include dependent files. If you keep getting this warning, you can turn it off in Dreamweaver's preferences. Choose Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Dreamweaver > Preferences (Mac), click the Site category on the left, and uncheck the two prompts for dependent files. To select multiple files and folders, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) as you click. To grab a range of files, hold down Shift as you click.

2.

On the toolbar at the top, click Put Files. Noteworthy The newest version of Dreamweaver has something called Background File Transfer. Check out the sidebar "The End of Coffee BreaksForever!" further on in this chapter for more info. Now sit back and watch the show.

Uploading an Entire Site

When you're ready to transfer your entire site, don't select all the individual files and folderstry this instead:

1.	At the top of the Files panel, select your site's folder.
2.	On the toolbar, click the Put button. Dreamweaver will ask you if you want to upload the entire site.
3.	Click OK. Noteworthy If you move files or folders in your local view, Dreamweaver is smart enough to update the hyperlinks to and from those files. If you do this on the remote side, Dreamweaver first asks for a confirmation.

Downloading Files

Downloading files is the reverse of uploading files, so get out that Sabbath record, play it backwards, and give downloading a try:

1.	In the left pane of the Files panel, select the file (or files) that you want to download. Remember: To select multiple files and folders, hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac). Hold down Shift to select a range.
2.	On the toolbar at the top, click Get File(s). If you're retrieving files that you already have on your local site, Dreamweaver will ask if you want to overwrite them. Think fastDreamweaver has you on a time limit! [View full size image] Noteworthy When you're working on a particular file, you can also use the File Management button on the Document toolbar to get, put, check in, check out, and perform a number of other operations on the file.
3.	Sit back and contemplate life.

Stopping a File Transfer

Did ya goof? It's all good; just don't drink so much at work. To stop an upload or download, simply close the Background Activity dialog box that appears when you start a transfer. Dreamweaver will warn you that closing the window will toast your file activity, which is what you want, so click OK.

If you ever want to stop a file transfer, just close the Background Activity dialog box and click OK in the confirmation box.

Define a Site? Tommyrot! Connect Directly Instead!" earlier in this chapter.