Working with Subversion and Dreamweaver CS5
Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 offers the ability to work with Subversion, an open-source version control system. This system allows users to store multiple versions of the same web page, which users can decide to make live at any time.
This article will demonstrate how to use Subversion and work with multiple versions of a web page. We apologize, but the associated PDF offering troubleshooting tips are not available.
Physiology of Subversion
Local Files are stored on your local machine and are viewed in the Files panel under local files. These files are submitted in various versions to the Subversion Repository.
Subversion Repository is a storage facility for the various versions of one or more sites. The files submitted to the repository can be located in the Files panel under Repository View. The user can define the site by submitting the version of the site pages to the webserver.
Web Server sends pages to users who request them via the internet. The version sent to the user's machine is the version of the pages saved upon the server.
Connecting to the Repository
To connect to the Subversion Repository:
- Go to the Site > Manage Sites.
- Select the website to connect to.
- Click Edit.
- Select Version Control from the left panel. This is where users can configure a connection to the subversion repository. Be sure to click Save if any changes are made.
The next step is to commit your files to the Subversion Repository.
Committing Files
Once the repository is set up, you can begin committing files in the Files panel. You must commit files before submitting them to the repository. Be sure to work under Local Files.
- Right-click in the Files panel.
- Go to Version Control.
- Select Commit.
- Add a Commit message to notate the variation in the version for future references.
- Click the Commit button.
Meaning of Icons in the Files Panel
- No icon beside the file name indicates that the local and repository versions of the file match.
- Plus icon beside the file name indicates that the local file has not yet been added to the repository and should be added.
- Check icon beside the file name indicates a change to the local file, making the local and repository versions no longer identical.
Reinstating Previous Versions
To reinstate a previous version of a file:
- Right-click on the Files panel.
- Select Version Control.
- Choose Show Revisions.
- Select a file.
- Click Promote to Current.
Dreamweaver is a popular Adobe program for creating websites and applications. It supports HTML5, CSS3, PHP, FTP, jQuery, and more, and it works with HostGator web hosting.
You can learn more about Dreamweaver by visiting Adobe's website or the Dreamweaver Tutorials learning portal.