need help with Apache and DWMX

[AudioJunkie]

On the site definition page in Dreamweaver MX, what will my 'Testing server folder' be, given that i'm using Apache.
Can someone also tell me what my URL prefix will be?
I obviously keep getting it wrong as i'm always encountering 404 error messages.

[olaf]

It is the same place where you have to place all your pages and scripts if you wanna connect them via the webbrowser on "localhost".

[AudioJunkie]

thanks for your reply, but i'm afraid i'm still none the wiser.
What i want is for someone to tell me what they have done, and in particular i need someone to tell me exactly what the directory address is that i should write in the 'testing server folder' (for example, C:/blah blah blah/my site folder) box on the site definition page in DWMX. I also need instructions on what the URL prefix should look like..

Thanks again

[Elizabeth]

If you're running Apache on your machine, and you want to test your files, you don't really need to set up a "testing server" per se, as once your files have been saved, they have automatically been "uploaded" in a sense.

The default directory for Apache files during installation is:
c:\program files\apache group\apache2\htdocs\

If you're saving your files in there, then you don't need to set up a testing server. If you're trying to test before you make them live, then you need to set up a different directory under this one (so Apache can still find it and parse it properly) - like "test".

Then under your testing configuration, set your testing server folder to:
c:\program files\apache group\apache2\htdocs\test\

And your URL Prefix is http://localhost/test/

Of course, these settings depend on where you have Apache installed and where you have set it to point to find the PHP and HTML files.

hth
-Elizabeth

[AudioJunkie]

thanks for you time Elizabeth, but i'm still having problems. When I go to 'View', and then select 'Live Data' the following error dialogue box comes up.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'HTTP error 404 (file not found) occurred while attempting to request the file http://localhost/mysitename/myfile_bcjhdbc7.php from the testing serevr.

Here are some possible reasons for the problem:

1. Files in the "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache/htdocs/mysitename/" folder that have the ".php" file extension are not being executed by the testing server.

2. The "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache/htdocs/mysitename/" folder does not map to the "http://localhost/mysitename/" URL on the testing server. Verify that the URL prefix maps to the root of your site.

Would you like to change the location of your testing server?'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can anyone help me get round this set of problems?

[talkster5]

have you got PHP installed properly and also if you want there is a good program called IBserver which is Apache, MySQL, PHP all in one and it configures everything properly for you so all you have to do is put your files in and open the right ports on your firewall and away you go.

[AudioJunkie]

how can i test that i have php installed correctly?
(please don't assume that i have a certain level of knowlege.....treat me as a novice and go slow!)

[talkster5]

create a page in notepad put <?php then some kind of quick coding then ?> and then save it as test.php and see if it works