This is probably a bit of a simple question but any ideas would be welcome. I have a site which I built some time ago. I would like to completely rebuild it as I realise my early efforts leave a great deal to be desired, but I am wondering the best way to go. The site is a mp3 download shop (just to say Linklok and Adrian are wonderful) and I am very nervous about screwing things up! However the site keeps growing and now it is an inflexible scrappy mess! Any ideas how to safely rebuild so that I am not in danger of losing a working site? Thanks if you can offer any suggestions…Annette
You could build your new site in a separate folder, with no links from/
to the old site. You would be able to access it using a URL to the
folder/index page and it is unlikely to be found by a search engine in
the short term. When it’s OK, just switch it out to replace you
current site files.
HTH Colin
On 24 Feb 2010, at 14:06, Mol wrote:
This is probably a bit of a simple question but any ideas would be
welcome. I have a site which I built some time ago. I would like to
completely rebuild it as I realise my early efforts leave a great
deal to be desired, but I am wondering the best way to go. The site
is a mp3 download shop (just to say Linklok and Adrian are
wonderful) and I am very nervous about screwing things up! However
the site keeps growing and now it is an inflexible scrappy mess! Any
ideas how to safely rebuild so that I am not in danger of losing a
working site? Thanks if you can offer any suggestions…Annette
I had a similar situation with my photo gallery site and in the end did pretty much as Colin suggested. Stripped out the non essentials from the old site, home page, certain internal and redundant links, etc. then linked from my new home page to the old gallery. Someday it will be so old and out of date that I’ll cut the link.
No need for nerves - just save your existing FW file under another
name (say, 'Name of File - Version 2), add a new folder in the Site
Panel and work on that. You will always have you original to go back
to, shuold anything go awry.
Colin.
On 24 Feb 2010, at 15:56, Mol wrote:
Thanks seoras. I’m going to give it a go. Just a bit nervous…
Hi Colin, I think I’ve almost got it. So you are saying I can build the new site (with a new master?), all unlinked to the old site in a separate folder placed in my existing site folder. I’m just not sure how to switch the new files for the old ones when the time comes…and what about my original master 1? Can I just delete that when the time comes? Sorry if it is a bit slow going in but I want to be sure before I start…
When you are ready you can delete all the old files from the Site
Panel and move your index page (or the whole site) out of the ‘new’
folder to the top. Again, as a belt and braces option, you can do a
‘Save As…’ for the final file, before you start moving things
around. That way you can’t lose anything in the process that can’t be
reclaimed.
Colin
On 24 Feb 2010, at 16:39, Mol wrote:
Hi Colin, I think I’ve almost got it. So you are saying I can build
the new site (with a new master?), all unlinked to the old site in a
separate folder placed in my existing site folder. I’m just not sure
how to switch the new files for the old ones when the time
comes…and what about my original master 1? Can I just delete that
when the time comes? Sorry if it is a bit slow going in but I want
to be sure before I start…
In your existing FW doc you can create a subfolder called newsite - dont create any pages within it.
When you upload it a new folder will be created on the server at yoursite.com/newsite
In your new FW doc that you are using to build your new site (with new masters etc.) have the upload directory set as /public_html/newsite (assuming that your existing site upload directory is /public_html)
When you upload from your new FW doc you will be able to see the new site files at yoursite.com/newsite/index.html - and these files will not affect your existing site at all.
When you are happy with your new site design then you can change the upload directory (for the new doc) back to the original destination (the same as your previous FW doc - /public_html (or whatever)
When you then upload, all your old site files will be overwritten by the new one.