Once the basic site definition has been established, new pages can be created and files from an existing site can be downloaded to the local root folder if working on an existing site.

Hint: Don't define the Dreamweaver application folder as a site's local root folder, because it also contains all the files for the program itself. Only files that are related to a site should be in the folder, because the contents will eventually be uploaded to a server. Never save work in the Dreamweaver's application folder.

To establish a site in Dreamweaver, do the following:

Choose Window > Site Files (or press F5).

In the Site Window, select the pop-up menu next to the connect button. Choose the bottom option, Define Sites.

The Define Sites dialog box appears. Select the New button.

The Site Definition dialog box appears. Type the name of the site into the field next to Site Name. The name of the site is for organizational purposes only, and will not appear on any of the pages when previewed in a browser.

Next, select the file folder icon to the right of the field Local Root Folder. The Choose Local Folder dialog box appears. Navigate and select the folder that contains all the site files. After choosing the Select button, the dialog box closes.

In the Site Definition dialog box, a path now exists in the field next to Local Root Folder. This path is essential for Dreamweaver to maintain the site structure. If the location of the Local Root Folder changes, repeat step above.

Note: A copy of the contents of the local root folder will probably be transferred to a server so that others may view the Web pages once they have been completed. The next steps provide information for configuring the Web Server Information. It is not necessary to do so until files have been created and are ready for transfer. Steps 7, 8 and 9 may be skipped until files need to be uploaded.

Select the Web Server Info category, and for the text boxes on the following screen enter these values:

Server Access: FTP
FTP Host: www.yourdomain.com (or IP address)
host directory: www/
Username: Insert your username here
Password: Insert your password here

Click OK. A new window like this one is next:

Select the Connect button. The button will change to disconnect because you are already connected.

The left hand side is your site and the right hand side is your local machine. Select the files that you wish to transfer from the right side of the window and drag them to the left side. You can also use the Get and Put buttons.