Can't get dreamweaver to work with my local testing server.

I am trying to get things to work with an existing site which needs to integrate a shopping cart. I decide to purchase Powerstore, and to subscribe to WA. I followed the set up instructions for a database, and that works great. I followed the set up for a local testing server, downloaded PHP and installed it, configured it to work with IIS7 by following a video instruction provided by a WA community member or technician. Seemed to work great, ran the test at the end and it said it connected fine.

Opened Dreamweaver hoping to be able to preview my work on the new local test server and just kept getting error messages such as "cannot save file/store/TMP49aq7s7bi7.php on the testing server, would you like to change the location of the testing server?" Right now I have it set up this way: Server Model: PHP MySQL Access: Local/Network Testing server folder C:\inetpub\wwwroot\ I don't have anything now in the URL prefix...I am assuming that would only have something if I was using an online testing service.

After trying a bunch of fixes from several sources, I decided I couldn't spend any more time setting up the testing server, and asked in the PowerStore forum if I NEEDED a local testing server to make the program run, and was told "not really" and that it would work (albeit not as efficiently) to simply upload my files to my remote server and see how the changes worked or didn't work on live pages...

BUT...I need to make modifications to things like my drop down menues and other things that were created for powerstore using extensions like CSS Menu Writer and other programs. I was told by a tech that subscribing to WA and using an extension like Menu Writer would simplify these modifications.

Great. I subscribed. Downloaded. Installed the extensions. Followed the instructions on deleting the wincache file. Clicked on the menu, see the CSS Menu Writer icon in the properties field...felt this rush of anticipation that SOMETHING might actually work without issues...clicked "edit menu", Dreamweaver gets locked into an error code pop up that says "The database connection(s) required for this content preset do not exist in this site. Please create the following connections to use this preset: Connection: localhost [long dashed line followed by:] Table: productcategories Columns: CategoryName, CategoryID"

You can try clicking "OK" a million times only to get the pop up a million times. You are locked in. The only way out is to go to task manager and end the program. Which I do.

I tried again to get the local testing server to work, thinking this might be the problem and now no matter what page I open in Dreamweaver, I now get the pop up message "Access to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\temp.html was denied." I can close the pop up temporarily by clicking OK, but it comes up with every action I take...

Here is some basic info:
I am using a pc running Vista 32 bit with service pack 2
Dreamweaver CS4
WA CSS Menu Writer 2

Here is the tricky part. I am working on an existing site. So I have the site (web) root folder with all the existing pages, images etc. Then within that root folder, I installed (after asking a tech if this was the best way to do it) Powerstore in the root folder under a subfolder named "Store". So on a local, external hard drive I have as follows: I:\existingsite\store\ but my testing server is in C:\inetpub\wwwroot

IF the problem is being caused by where I have the powerstore files, if they all need to be directly under the site root folder, can I move them one by one to the root folder? Or do I need to dump all the (massive) work I have done so far and start from scratch and reinstall powerstore in the root folder?

I have a feeling this whole process would have been much simpler if I hadn't needed to set it up to work within an existing site.

And if anyone has any ideas why my testing server doesn't work, I would throw in my first born child. She is 26 and a hard worker.

Thanks,
Michelle

  I don't have anything now in the URL prefix...I am assuming that would only have something if I was using an online testing service.  

whether using a remote or local webserver, you need to supply a URL prefix.

for a local server the URL is:
http:/localhost/

this address maps to the c:\inetpub\wwwroot\ folder.

In IIS you can create virtual directories that point to locations on your computer outside the wwwroot, see the following for information:
cc771804%28WS.10%29.aspx

Since you are using powerstore in an existing site and want to be able to edit the power store files with WebAssist Extensions you will need to separate the two. here is how I would configure it:

1) Create a folder on the c drive named websites:
c:\websites

2) Create a virtual directory in IIS named websites and point it to c:\websites

3) create folder under c:\websites called existingsite:
c:\websites\existingsite

4) create folder under c:\websites called powerstore:
c:\websites\powerstore

5) create a site in dreamweaver for the existing site.
a) on the local info tab set the Local Root Folder to:
c:\websites\existingsite
b) on the local info tab set set the HTTP Address to:
existingsite
c) on the testing server tab select PHP / my SQL as the server model
d) on the testing server tab set the access to Local\Network
e) on the testing server tab set the Testing Server Folder to:
c:\websites\existingsite
f) on the testing server tab set the URL Prefix to:
existingsite


6) create a site in dreamweaver for the powerstore.
a) on the local info tab set the Local Root Folder to:
c:\websites\powerstore
b) on the local info tab set set the HTTP Address to:
powerstore
c) on the testing server tab select PHP / my SQL as the server model
d) on the testing server tab set the access to Local\Network
e) on the testing server tab set the Testing Server Folder to:
c:\websites\powerstore
f) on the testing server tab set the URL Prefix to:
powerstore

put the powerstore files in the c:\websites\powerstore folder and the existing site files in the c:\websites\existingsite folder.

Originally Said By: Jason Byrnes

  whether using a remote or local webserver, you need to supply a URL prefix.

for a local server the URL is:
http:/localhost/

this address maps to the c:\inetpub\wwwroot\ folder.

In IIS you can create virtual directories that point to locations on your computer outside the wwwroot, see the following for information:
cc771804%28WS.10%29.aspx

Since you are using powerstore in an existing site and want to be able to edit the power store files with WebAssist Extensions you will need to separate the two. here is how I would configure it:

1) Create a folder on the c drive named websites:
c:\websites

2) Create a virtual directory in IIS named websites and point it to c:\websites

3) create folder under c:\websites called existingsite:
c:\websites\existingsite

4) create folder under c:\websites called powerstore:
c:\websites\powerstore

5) create a site in dreamweaver for the existing site.
a) on the local info tab set the Local Root Folder to:
c:\websites\existingsite
b) on the local info tab set set the HTTP Address to:
existingsite
c) on the testing server tab select PHP / my SQL as the server model
d) on the testing server tab set the access to Local\Network
e) on the testing server tab set the Testing Server Folder to:
c:\websites\existingsite
f) on the testing server tab set the URL Prefix to:
existingsite


6) create a site in dreamweaver for the powerstore.
a) on the local info tab set the Local Root Folder to:
c:\websites\powerstore
b) on the local info tab set set the HTTP Address to:
powerstore
c) on the testing server tab select PHP / my SQL as the server model
d) on the testing server tab set the access to Local\Network
e) on the testing server tab set the Testing Server Folder to:
c:\websites\powerstore
f) on the testing server tab set the URL Prefix to:
powerstore

put the powerstore files in the c:\websites\powerstore folder and the existing site files in the c:\websites\existingsite folder.  

So far, I think I am following you so I will try this new set up. I plan to copy everything rather than move them for the moment so I don't wreck what I have so far. Before I start, I need to ask a couple more questions.

Since we have two people who work from different computers, we have always stored our site root folder(s) on an external drive. We make sure our DW settings match exactly, and that way we can each work from our own computer on the same files (different times, of course). Is it possible for me to set up this same configuration, following all of your instructions, but keeping it all (except the inetpub file which would stay on the c: drive) on the external drive so we both can access the site? The other reason we would like to do this is because we work on about twenty different sites. I anticipate getting more shopping cart clients at some point, and hadn't really planned on storing multiple sites on my computer hard drive.

The other question is, if I set it all up this way, when I upload to my remote, do I upload from both "sites" (existing site and powerstore) and how will all those work together? I use cpanel on a linux server, and I upload to the public_html folder. It seems like having two separate sites to upload would make it pretty tough to make them work smoothly together. I suppose it is just a matter of creating proper links.

Haven't attempted the suggested migration suggested by Jason--I will wait for the answers to my reply questions so I don't mess anything up.

I do have a little more info on what is happening with the menu writer extension as I have it installed now. I am able to get this
---------------------------
Dreamweaver
---------------------------
The database connection(s) required for this content preset do not exist in this site. Please create the following connections to use this preset:

Connection: localhost
===============================================
Table: productcategories
Columns: CategoryName, CategoryID
____
but I can at least close the pop up and continue working. If I click "edit Menu" I get the same message but can't get out without going to task manager and ending the DW program.
I wish I had this working...it sounds like it could help a lot.

Yes, you can have this on the external hard drive. Just adjust the paths accordingly in my previous thread.

yes, you will have to upload from both Dreamweaver Sites.

For the existing site, set the Host directory on the Remote Info tab of the site definition to:
public_html/

For the power store site, set it to:
public_html/store/

this will put the site back together when it is uploaded to the server.


The error message you are getting is saying that there is not a localhost connection created to connect to the power store database. Once you have the power store files in place and edit the Connections/localhost.php file to connect to the powerstore database, you will fix that error.

Originally Said By: Jason Byrnes

  Yes, you can have this on the external hard drive. Just adjust the paths accordingly in my previous thread.

yes, you will have to upload from both Dreamweaver Sites.

For the existing site, set the Host directory on the Remote Info tab of the site definition to:
public_html/

For the power store site, set it to:
public_html/store/

this will put the site back together when it is uploaded to the server.


The error message you are getting is saying that there is not a localhost connection created to connect to the power store database. Once you have the power store files in place and edit the Connections/localhost.php file to connect to the powerstore database, you will fix that error.  

Thanks Jason, I am going to give this a try tonight and cross my fingers. In spite of the problems I am having (which I know most are due to my lack of knowledge) these programs look like exactly what I needed and wanted. I am just trying to wrap my head around a LOT of new concepts.

Originally Said By: Jason Byrnes

  Yes, you can have this on the external hard drive. Just adjust the paths accordingly in my previous thread.

yes, you will have to upload from both Dreamweaver Sites.

For the existing site, set the Host directory on the Remote Info tab of the site definition to:
public_html/

For the power store site, set it to:
public_html/store/

this will put the site back together when it is uploaded to the server.


The error message you are getting is saying that there is not a localhost connection created to connect to the power store database. Once you have the power store files in place and edit the Connections/localhost.php file to connect to the powerstore database, you will fix that error.  

I THINK I did everything you said to do. I checked and rechecked my settings in site manager against your instructions. I went to the site you linked, updated my IIS to 7 (I had six, so the instructions weren't working), set up a virtual directory...not 100% sure I did that right, but I don't have a way to know except to try the connection in Dreamweaver.

Went back into Dreamweaver and went into Databases, clicked the +, chose MySQL Connection.

Assigned the Connection name as powerstore
MySQL server: localhost
User name: admin
Password: root (I tried not using a user name or password since I never assigned one anywhere on the local virtual directory. If the virtual directory has a "user name" I never set it..and would have no clue how to find it, so I used the user name and password in the WA tutorial on setting my the MySQL Connection thinking maybe it is a default??)
Database: [clicked on the "Select" tab] I immediately get an HTTP Error Code 500 Internal Server Error

Man, I wish I could just get this thing to work!

Originally Said By: Jason Byrnes

  Yes, you can have this on the external hard drive. Just adjust the paths accordingly in my previous thread.

yes, you will have to upload from both Dreamweaver Sites.

For the existing site, set the Host directory on the Remote Info tab of the site definition to:
public_html/

For the power store site, set it to:
public_html/store/

this will put the site back together when it is uploaded to the server.


The error message you are getting is saying that there is not a localhost connection created to connect to the power store database. Once you have the power store files in place and edit the Connections/localhost.php file to connect to the powerstore database, you will fix that error.  

In addition to the other steps I took, I did go into WA_Globals.php and changed the $WAGLOBAL_localRoot = "/powerstore/" which is what the virtual directory is named in inetmgr.

Sooo, (sorry for the multiple messages, but I am trying to find my way through this) I know that it MIGHT have something to do with my Connections/localhost.php file?

Here is what I have, but I am pretty sure I have the settings wrong. What am I looking for to fill these in correctly?

<?php
# FileName="Connection_php_mysql.htm"
# Type="MYSQL"
# HTTP="true"
$hostname_localhost = "powerstore";
$database_localhost = "powerstore";
$username_localhost = "***";
$password_localhost = "*******"; [I take it this would be the user name and password I was trying to find earlier?]
$localhost = mysql_pconnect($hostname_localhost, $username_localhost, $password_localhost) or trigger_error(mysql_error(),E_USER_ERROR);
?>

First, lets test that your site is working properly.


In the powerstore site, create a new file name phpinfo.php.

add the following code:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

then try loading that page in a browser:
phpinfo.php

this should return information about your php installation, if it does not, there is a problem with your webserver.

you find this article helpful for setting up your testing server:
WSc78c5058ca073340dcda9110b1f693f21-79e0a.html


When you install MySQL, a user named root will be created automatically, during the install you will need to set the password for the root user.

in the localhost.php file, set the host to localhost:
$hostname_localhost = "powerstore";

Set the user to root:
$username_localhost = "root";

and the password t what ever you set it to when installing MySQL:
$password_localhost = "<root password set during mySQL Install>";