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limakid2015
limakid2015
Inspiring
April 6, 2022
Answered

Updating a dreamweaver template directly on the remote server

  • April 6, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 961 views

The tile is descriptive. Is it possible to do it? does it have some extra steps? If I do it locally, I have to update all the pages based on that template and then upload aaall of them again to the server.

I experimented connecting and opening directly the uploaded template, remotely on the (remote) server, will it also make update the uploaded pages atuomatically as if I worked locally, but on the server? I didn‘ get success. Did I do something. wrong?

Sorry, it‘s a ver old legacy site. Thanks a lot.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer B i r n o u

DWT files drive an internal DW mechanism... so if you put DWT on the server, and if you modify them directly on the server, it won't have any possible interaction with DW... so it's a slam dunk, it won't modify any of the child files from that template.


The only way to get stuff done, is to modify the DWT locally from DW, so your child pages will be updated, and you will have to transfer them all to the server...


If you don't want to be linked to such heavy update on each modifcation, I am afraid that that you will have to use another templating mechanism, like SSI, PHP, Mustache...

 

3 replies

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 6, 2022

Use Server-Side Includes instead of DW's proprietary Templates.  This will save you many hours updating site pages because all the magic happens on the server.  Also SSI's will work with any code editor.  DWT files only work with Dreamweaver.

 

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
limakid2015
limakid2015Author
Inspiring
April 13, 2022

I know. But I keep a site of almost 10–15 years ago which code is simply a big disaster and the fastest way to make updates in few minutes, is to just go for the DWT, while I make all a redesign and of course with PHP, Bootstrap and responsive feautures.

However, I am curious to know who else, besides me, is still using DWT? Why is Adobe still keeping them? just for legacy or tradition? or to help to the end user, the non-technical consumer with the drag and drop culture?

BenPleysier
Community Expert
BenPleysierCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 13, 2022

I used to with this extension. 

 

Now NodeJS/Express which has a great templating system.

https://youtu.be/ee4iwQpUQ2U

 

Wappler is the DMXzone-made Dreamweaver replacement and includes the best of their powerful extensions, as well as much more!
Jon Fritz
Community Expert
Jon FritzCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 6, 2022

As Birnou mentions, this is not possible with .DWT files, it's simply not the way they work.

To do what you want will require some rewriting to your site, using server-side includes, here's how to create them with a couple different methods...

PHP: https://www.w3schools.com/php/php_includes.asp

SHTML: https://www.yourhtmlsource.com/sitemanagement/includes.html


The main thing to keep in mind with both methods is that the include files themselves contain only the html of a section of a page and not an entire html document. For example, a menu system within the <nav> tags only (not including the <head>, <body> or any other html outside of the navigation). That include code would then take the place of a small include snippet written into your content pages when the server hands the page to the viewer.

Once created, you would only need to update and upload the include files and the server would take care of the rest.

    B i r n o u
    B i r n o uCorrect answer
    Legend
    April 6, 2022

    DWT files drive an internal DW mechanism... so if you put DWT on the server, and if you modify them directly on the server, it won't have any possible interaction with DW... so it's a slam dunk, it won't modify any of the child files from that template.


    The only way to get stuff done, is to modify the DWT locally from DW, so your child pages will be updated, and you will have to transfer them all to the server...


    If you don't want to be linked to such heavy update on each modifcation, I am afraid that that you will have to use another templating mechanism, like SSI, PHP, Mustache...

     

      limakid2015
      limakid2015Author
      Inspiring
      April 13, 2022
      quote

      ... if you modify them directly on the server, it won't have any possible interaction with DW...By @B i r n o u

       

       Yeah, I thought that maybe my host provider still keeps the Drteamweaver extensions and they are able to do that “mechanism of DW”. For current sites I am using SSI, yes. On the other side, I would like to know more about why Adobe is still keeping the DW templates. Is there anybody who uses it, besides me?

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