I’m really not happy with the site folder being embedded in the package created by Xway.
I have been using b5 just to do some noodling about learning how things work, and making a small change to my “day job” web site. I FTP using Transmit (v4.4, which I know is old and no longer supported, but so am I), going back to Freeway days.
Navigating about to find the site folder is a nightmare, and usually ends up with it being copied or moved out of the site package. With the latest upload, I dragged the site folder into Transmit’s upload panel, and then discovered it had actually disappeared from the site package and is now living at the top level of my user directory!
Of course, I can no longer return it to the package, and Xway hasn’t a clue where it’s gone and won’t publish any more. If I try to do anything with the original document, I get this error message:
The only way out is to make a duplicate of the original Xway file and start again. I suppose that’s a useful way to provide versions of the site design as I work!
Can I politely ask for an option to create an external site folder for easier management?
Perhaps Xway could optionally create a visible symlink into the package alongside the document. I know why you want to put it in the package, so everything is kept tidy and safe from prying eyes, but Heather raises a good usability point for people accustomed to the old way of working.
A symbolic link would work. Until Xway can FTP for me, I have to access the site folder and its contents via the Finder (or from the Show Site Folder menu, which amounts to the same thing).
One reason I’ve been relying on Transmit for years is the hosting company I use “locks” FTP upload. There is a way round it, but it hardly works for me, so I “unlock” via a control panel on their site, then use Transmit to upload. I suppose I’m going to have to figure out how to access the server without needing to go through that palaver one day.
SFTP should be a drop-in replacement for FTP, from both your host’s perspective and yours. Transmit manages it transparently, the experience is identical to using FTP, modulo the port number.
Let’s say your project is named Untitled.xway (as mine is), and it is currently in the Documents folder. Open your Terminal.app and type the following incantation:
cd ~/Documents
ln -s Untitled.xway/Site untitled-site
Now you have an “alias” to the site folder which should both persist and should be selectable by ye olde Transmit…
What you request is part of the plan for a future version of Xway. This will have its own upload code, and Show Site Folder will be removed. Xway’s Upload will also include the ability to copy the Site folder to a local folder (like Freeway), for people who need or prefer to use a separate upload program.
If you do actually remove the Site folder, it shouldn’t matter. Clicking on “Save Anyway” should recreate it.
… oh, and Mac document handling document creates a new version every time you manually save a document. You don’t have to delete the Site folder for this to happen!
