# How to test a website before final deployment?



## robertin75 (May 8, 2009)

Hello:

Let's say I have a website URL//blablah.com and I usually update all the files (html, images, etc.) in DreamWeaver and upload them to the server through FileZilla.

I want to make some changes and try some stuff but I want to be able to preview them before making the final changes to the files that are stored on the server.

So if I go into URL//blablah.com I want to be able to see all the changes that I have made which may have some errors but if someone else goes into the website I want them to see the original files and not the ones I'm working on.

Does this makes sense? Is this possible?

Thanks and help is greatly appreciated.


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## ReviverSoft (Nov 30, 2009)

Hi,

Why not just make changes/test your website locally (offline) and then upload it to your server? Any particular reason?



> So if I go into URL//blablah.com I want to be able to see all the changes that I have made which may have some errors but if someone else goes into the website I want them to see the original files and not the ones I'm working on.


I don't think this is possible, unless you're serving the same files from a different folder/location on your server.

EDIT: I would just put up an "UNder Construction" notice on the main (index) page and work on files that are on the server, in real-time. No point in having them look at the pages with errors, when you are going to publish the revised ones soon, right?


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## robertin75 (May 8, 2009)

ReviverSoft said:


> Hi,
> 
> Why not just make changes/test your website locally (offline) and then upload it to your server? Any particular reason?
> 
> ...


I tried to test the html files locally using Dreamweaver's test server feature but it is pretty cofusing. I couldn't make it work.

Somehow it was not pulling the html files from the hard drive but it was going straight to the server's URLs.

It may have to do with relative vs. absolute paths.

I don't think I can put up the "Under construction" notice as I am not very familiar with web development so it's gonna take me a while to develop and test the changes.

I thought about the different folder location, maybe that's another option.

Maybe if I copy and paste all the folders/files structure to another folder in the server and then test those files?

URL: myserver.com\test

Then if everything looks and works fine just copy and replace all the files from the test folder to the folder where the original html files are stored in the server.

What do you think?

Thanks for your help


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## Laxer (Dec 28, 2010)

What I do for testing is set up WAMP(see my sig)

Then I set the root of my WAMP server to the root of my website. (Or just copy your site into wamp/www/ and adjust the DW path)

Thus when making edits if I just save(do not upload) the edits will be saved in WAMP and I will be able to view them.

If they look good I can then upload them and everyone can see them.


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## kingwinbond (Jan 26, 2012)

Hello, 

If you have a control panel on the server such as plesk or Cpanel there are site preview options provided in the control panel . You can preview the website from that option. Else you can test the website Locally . You need to Edit the hosts file located at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc . 


> 127.0.0.1 yourwebsitename.com


With this Entry in your Hosts File you will be able able to browse the website locally.


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## robertin75 (May 8, 2009)

Laxer said:


> What I do for testing is set up WAMP(see my sig)
> 
> Then I set the root of my WAMP server to the root of my website. (Or just copy your site into wamp/www/ and adjust the DW path)
> 
> ...


I installed XAMPP which I believe is similar to WAMP.

Coupe of questions:

I assume that I have to do an entire site search and replace so that all the links point to the localhost and not the web server?

And when I'm done with the testing the localhost website I would have again to do a search and replace all but now replacing localhost to the normal web server URL?

As you know the local html files code are still going to point to the webserver.

I just did that but am not sure if there is a way to avoid this.

Another thing I noticed is that all the html files have a copy of the menu's html code.

Is this the way is supposed to do since all the html files will show the menu?

Or is there any way to write the menu code only once and somehow reference that code in all the html files?

Thanks


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## robertin75 (May 8, 2009)

Anyone can shed some light?

Thanks


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## Laxer (Dec 28, 2010)

Sorry I just got avalible....

Yes XAMPP is fine.

Do all linking from the root of your site....

For example if your a linking to an image...

<img src="domain.com/test/lawl.jpg">

have the code be:

<img src="/test/lawl.jpg">

This will make it so the link will work on all pages and will work in XAMPP.

Putting a */* before a link will kick it back to the root of your server. (www folder)

an Example:

To link to: domain.com/dwed/wdsds/wdsds/sdsdsd/test.html

you could use: /dwed/wdsds/wdsds/sdsdsd/test.html

and you could use this link on *ANY* page in your site without having any issues.

No more ../ or multiple files :grin:


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