Migrating to Dreamweaver from Other Programs

Using Site Files Created in Another Program
In order to work with an existing site in Dreamweaver, all of the site files must be stored in one folder. That folder must exist on the hard drive of the computer system which will be used to edit the site. Defining a Site is the process by which you tell Dreamweaver where the folder containing the site files is. Dreamweaver calls that folder a local root folder.

Defining a Site
When defining a site in Dreamweaver, you essentially tell Dreamweaver where to find this main folder (known as the "local root folder") that holds all the site's files.

Redefining or Transferring Files
Which method you use to make your preexisting site a Dreamweaver site will depend on where the preexisting site's HTML files are stored, as follows:

• On Your Computer System's Hard Drive If the preexisting site's files are already located within a single folder on your computer system's hard drive, then define the site by designating the main folder as the local root folder. Note: If the files are stored in one folder on a removable disc or on another computer in a network, copy or transfer the main folder to your computer system's hard drive and then define the site using that main folder as the local root folder.

• On a Web Server There may be situations when you need to get the site files directly from the Web server. This may be because you don't have them locally, but know where to find them on the server.
  1. Create a new folder on your computer system's hard drive.
  
  
  2. Define the empty folder as the local root folder.
  
  
  3. Connect to an FTP server. (For FTP issues, click here.)
  
  
  4. Download (you can use "Get" in the Site window) the folder that holds all of your Web site's files from the Web server.
  
  
  5. Define the site by using that main folder as the local root folder.

Opening Non-Dreamweaver HTML Documents
Because Dreamweaver's native file format is HTML, it will open any valid HTML document. To open an HTML file in Dreamweaver, just choose File > Open and navigate to find the file.

• Round-Trip HTML
  When opening an HTML file (whatever its source) Dreamweaver tends to leave valid HTML alone. This unique feature, known as Round Trip HTML, lets Dreamweaver open documents generated from text-based HTML editors with little or no effect on the document's original HTML source code.

  Note that not all Web page creation programs function in the same way. Some "import" HTML into a non-HTML format and then "publish" an HTML document to create the Web page. Dreamweaver does not "import" an HTML document: Dreamweaver opens it.

  As you edit your now-opened HTML document, Dreamweaver will write out new HTML code for new elements. Areas that you change will receive new HTML code. The new HTML code may may differ in appearance from the way the old HTML looks, but otherwise Dreamweaver will not change the rest of the valid and unchanged HTML.

Special Considerations for Non-HTML Components
Viewing your HTML code in the previously existing documents should give you some idea whether the pages contains functionality which relies on external components. Dreamweaver writes only standard HTML files with behaviors written in standard JavaScript. Other HTML editors may work differently. Below are some suggestions for dealing with some of these non-HTML components:

• Third Party Tags
  Even when Dreamweaver is able to open an HTML document created by another program, it may not be able to parse (or "interpret") non-HTML tags placed there by that program. Some non-HTML tags can make an entire page difficult for Dreamweaver to understand. Dreamweaver is already configured to recognize and respect some third party tags (such as ASP). The Dreamweaver preferences can be set to recognize other third party tags.

• Behaviors and JavaScript
  If your non-Dreamweaver Web pages include JavaScript behaviors, these probably will not be editable as Dreamweaver behaviors. If you made rollover buttons in another application, for example, Dreamweaver will leave these alone; however, you would not be able to edit them further in Dreamweaver.

  You may choose to leave this non-Dreamweaver JavaScript in your HTML code if it works well for you. If you want to change the actions of the scripts, you may consider replacing the old JavaScript with Dreamweaver's behaviors. This can also help in reducing the file size since Dreamweaver's behaviors tend to be small and flexible.

• Repeating Elements
  If the existing site uses elements which repeat across the site, such as "components" from Adobe GoLive, then this HTML code is part of the page itself and will be respected by Dreamweaver. You would no longer be able to change these repeating elements and have them automatically update, but the elements will still appear in the page.

  If you find that you need to update repeating elements across the site, then you might consider replacing these with Dreamweaver Library items. Libraries are a way to store page elements such as images, text, and other objects that you want to reuse or update frequently throughout your Web site. These elements are called library items. If you select one of the instances of the repeating element or HTML code and create a Library item from it, then you can use Dreamweaver's Find and Replace feature to find other instances of that repeating element. After finding the repeating element, replace it with the new Dreamweaver Library item. Once all the repeating elements have been replaced with the Library item, then you can instantly update all instances of the Library item across the site.

  If you you need to replace GoLive components with Dreamweaver Library items, check the Macromedia Exchange for Dreamweaver for an extension to automate this process.

Migrating Strategies

• Sudden Shift Versus Easy Migration
  Should a site move over entirely to Dreamweaver all at once or is it better to transfer piecemeal over time? Different situations and work groups can use different approaches successfully, but most migrations seem to work better when approached slowly.

  One potential danger with a slow migration is that other visual editors will re-parse and rewrite the HTML code when making a small change anywhere in the document. This usually is not destructive, but it is safer to work on a backup copy of the HTML document if opening it in another visual editor.

  FrontPage is a program that would require a sudden shift approach instead of a slow migration. Web sites made with FrontPage have a tendency to break down if you upload files from other applications (mainly due to FrontPage's dependency on its server extensions), so keeping various people working on a site using both programs would not be wise.

• Reformating the Non-Dreamweaver Documents
  In all of these cases, you may find that the Web pages become larger than they need to be. Most visual editors insert proprietary tags which are used only in their program ("naturalSizeFlag" or "cool tables", for instance). If the pages are rarely changed, then Dreamweaver can be used to make spot edits. However, if you will be frequently working on these files in Dreamweaver, you may find it profitable to invest time reworking them. Below you'll find some strategies for changing or cleaning up the non-Dreamweaver HTML code:
  • Starting Over: Stripping Out Every Tag
    This method will instantly remove all tags (including the <p> tag). All that will remain is the original text, with no formatting. Using CSS and HTML styles will allow you to easily reformat the text. Images and other elements, however, will have to be reinserted. To remove all tags:
    1. In Dreamweaver 4, open the non-Dreamweaver document. Choose Edit > Select All.
    
    
    2. Choose Edit > Copy.
    
    
    3. Open a new document in Dreamweaver.
    
    
    4. In Design view, choose Edit > Paste HTML.

    
    

  • Using the Clean-Up HTML Command
    For less extensive renovation, the "Clean Up HTML" command can help with some types of commenting and tag duplication.

  • Using the Clean-Up Word HTML Command
    For HTML documents created in Microsoft Word, the "Clean Up Word HTML" command can help a lot.

  • Reconfiguring Complicated Pages
    If a page was created with layout grids in another editor, then you may want to redo the table(s), as follows:
    1. In Dreamweaver, open the non-Dreamweaver document. Select the table to be reconfigured.
    
    
    2. Choose Modify > Convert > Tables to Layers.
    
    
    3. Move the elements of the table into regular rows and columns. Using Dreamweaver 4's Layout View mode for tables (View > Table View > Layout View) may also help you reorganize content.
    
    
    4. To convert the reorganized layers back to a table, choose Modify > Convert > Layers to Table.

  • Deleting old JavaScript and Adding Dreamweaver JavaScript
    Although it is possible to keep foreign JavaScript in an existing document, it's often easier and cleaner to copy the Web page's content into a new document and apply the compact Dreamweaver behaviors in the new file.

Migrating from FrontPage to Dreamweaver
For specifics on how to move from MS FrontPage to Dreamweaver, click here.