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Hello, new user. Not too versed in website building.
I have a site I made a number of years ago (using a predecessor of Backlight). I need to keep this site up while I build my new site with Backlight. How to I make the site somewhere else (like on my desktop), then replace my original site when I am ready?
Also, can I use elements such as galleries from my original site, if so how do I incorporate them?
Thanks
David Henderson
davidhenderson.org
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The easiest thing to do is to build up the design of your new site in a sub-domain or a sub-folder. Either way works but using a sub-domain has some advantages.
Once you're satisfied with the design, you can simply delete all the files in the main domain and copy or move the contents of the test site into the main domain folder (presumably the public_html folder)
It looks like the version of TTG you're currently using was pre-Publisher. (or, at least, you're not using Publisher). This means you won't be able to use any of your existing galleries.
I've written about this scenario on my TTG-Tips site. See if this helps: http://ttg-tips-and-tricks.barbeephoto. … backlight/
Rod
Just a user with way too much time on his hands.
www.rodbarbee.com
ttg-tips.com, Backlight 2/3 test site
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If you're previous site was running CE4 and using our publisher, then you can migrate your existing galleries to Backlight 1. Otherwise, you will likely not be able to reuse elements from the previous site.
As for developing offline then moving the site, I think Rod put together an article on how to do that. I can't seem to find it, though. I might be crazy. Rod? Am I crazy?
EDIT: Rod posted while I was typing. This is typical. He is very much on the ball.
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yep, on the ball. and no, you're not crazy (As far as I know).
Rod
Just a user with way too much time on his hands.
www.rodbarbee.com
ttg-tips.com, Backlight 2/3 test site
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Okay I am a complete idiot. So I create a subdomain, then I upload the backlight folder, galleries folder, index.php, and the .htaccess into the subdomain? Then move the whole kit and caboodle into the public_html folder once it's done?
Thanks for the extremely quick replies!! Sorry but I don't quite get the subdomain thing.
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That's about it. I prefer to copy the kit and coboodle back to my pc and then upload it again. This is just so I can keep the sub-domain as a testing site. Using FTP to move it from the sub-domain to the main domain will leave the sub-domain folder empty.
There are some other steps though. Once you move the test site to the main domain, you'll need to log into Backlight and change URLs in Settings (Site and Company URLs, WordPress URL). You may also need to re-upload any images you uploaded via the Backlight uploader. Sometimes those pictures don't come along for the ride for some reason.
You can either develop the whole site in the sub-domain or folder and then move it all at once. Or you can simply get the design the way you want, move the site into place, and then start republishing.
You'll also need to first clean out the public_html folder. You don't want to have any stray index.html files or files like contact.php, etc.
So you will have a short period of time (assuming the site transfer goes as expected) when your site will essentially be gone.
Sorry but I don't quite get the subdomain thing.
Subdomains have a url like yourtestsite.yoursite.com. My Pangolin test site is at pangolin.barbeephoto.com
To create one, log into your host's C-Panel and look for sub-domain area. It's pretty straightforward.
The advantage to using a subdomain comes in when you've got other internal links you're referencing. For example, I keep a folder in the root of my sites just for extra images I might use on the site. Pictures to use inline with text, for example.
If I use a subdomain I can write the url to those images like this: /extra-images/image.jpg.
If I'm using a sub-folder, I'd have to write it like this: /test-site-folder/extra-images/image.jpg.
If using a sub-folder for testing/development I'd need to edit any page copy that uses that image and change the URL to remove /test-side-folder
If using a sub-domain, I can just leave the url as is.
Either way, sub-folder or sub-domain, works. Just use the method that seems easiest to you.
Rod
Just a user with way too much time on his hands.
www.rodbarbee.com
ttg-tips.com, Backlight 2/3 test site
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