Macromedia’s HomeSite is a great text-based HTML editor; I’ve been using it for about 10 years. Think of HomeSite as Dreamweaver’s code-focused younger brother.

Why map servers? The reason I do it is because it enables me to browse and view PHP includes live right on my local machine. You can see the results of server side includes without having to post the site online, a big time saver.

Part 1 – Setting up Mappings in the Web Server

First, get the latest stable installation of Apache Server. The one I use is from XAMPP (www.xampp.com) and is quite easy to set up. Install it according to the instructions. XAMPP’s installation also includes MySQL, phpMyAdmin, a FileZilla server and a number of other useful tools.

Go into the install directory and look for this file:

C:/Program Files/xampp/apache/conf/httpd.conf

Open it in Windows Notepad or any simple text editor. Scroll down about halfway until you see this section:

#
# Alias: Maps web paths into filesystem paths and is used to
# access content that does not live under the DocumentRoot.
# Example:
# Alias /webpath /full/filesystem/path
#
# If you include a trailing / on /webpath then the server will
# require it to be present in the URL. You will also likely
# need to provide a <Directory> section to allow access to
# the filesystem path.

Immediately after the last line shown above, you’ll need to enter the following block of information (assuming your web files are located in a folder called “webprojects”):

Alias /webprojects/ "C:/webprojects/"

<Directory "C:/webprojects">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks +Includes ExecCGI
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>

Alias “maps web paths into filesystem paths and is used to access content that does not live under the DocumentRoot.” In turn, the next section “allows access to the filesystem path.” If you want more information on the directives used within this section, visit http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/mod/core.html#options.

Now you will need to enter a similar block of code for each folder you want listed as an alias (each web project folder). Keep entering them underneath the first block, as many as you need.

Alias /projectfolder1/ "C:/webprojects/projectfolder1/"

<Directory "C:/webprojects/projectfolder2/">
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks Includes ExecCGI
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>

…and so on.

When you’re finished entering project folders, save httpd.conf. You’ll need to stop and restart the Apache web server at this point (and any time you make changes to its configuration).

Part 2 – Setting up Server Mappings in HomeSite

Open HomeSite. In the top menu, go to Options > Settings > Browse. In the window, tick the “Enable Server Mappings” box.

Click “Add” to create a new server mapping. Note that if you ended a folder name with a “/” you must also include the “/” in this dialog.

For “Map From” enter: C:Program Files/xampp

And for “Map To” enter: http://localhost/

Do this once more to also set the project directory to localhost:

For “Map From” enter: C:webprojects

And for “Map To” enter: http://localhost/

Then you’ll repeat this process for each project folder you entered in httpd.conf.

Map from C:webprojectsprojectfolder1 Map to http://localhost/projectfolder1/

… and so on.

When finished, try using the “View External Browser List” button – you should be able to see your local site and its SSI in your chosen browser. What if it doesn’t work? Try these potential solutions:

1) Did you stop and restart Apache Server?

2) Make sure that the formatting of folders and paths is identical in httpd.conf and in the settings in HomeSite. Did you forget a slash?

3) Make sure you’re using backslashes, not forward slashes for the “Map from” portion of the server mappings in HomeSite.

4) Reboot your computer.

That should do it!

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Debbie Campbell is a web designer of 12 years’ experience and the owner of Parallax Web Design in Fort Collins, CO.

By leveraging the .NET Framework you can do absolutely anything in no time, but is that power also the problem with ASP.NET?

In the dark ages before ASP.NET, we were stuck with ASP and PHP but we were just as enthusiastic about them as we are with ASP.NET now.

They were relative easy to learn and to learn well enough to do something really cool with in a short period of time.

That made them accessible to almost anyone with just a will to learn and in my opinion that’s what made the web what it is today.

ASP.NET changed all that.

The power and scale of it was so immense that it could take years to be familiar with just the page life cycle or the basic classes in the CLR and even longer to be able to take full advantage of the entire platform.

After almost 5 years I still find classes and methods I didn’t know existed.

That makes ASP.NET much more difficult to learn and master than ASP and PHP.

The tools used to build ASP.NET web applications, Visual Studio, Visual Web Developer Express and Expression Web Designer, are also much more advanced than the earlier tools.

The traditional webmaster now has to be a full blooded programmer just to be able to open up a user control’s code-behind file to add another item to a DropDownList.

HomeSite, TextPad and Dreamweaver 4 were much easier and simpler at the time for editing ASP and PHP files.

My point is that the very essence that started the dynamic web is missing out on ASP.NET because it is too difficult.

The hobby web developers and the newcomers face a much steeper learning curve, which might lead them to choose another platform.

I believe in the power of ASP.NET, but then again, I’m neither a hobbyist nor a newcomer.

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Mads Kristensen currently works as a Senior Developer at Traceworks located
in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mads graduated from Copenhagen Technical Academy with a multimedia degree in
2003, but has been a professional developer since 2000. His main focus is on ASP.NET but is responsible for Winforms, Windows- and
web services in his daily work as well. A true .NET developer with great passion for the simple solution.

http://www.madskristensen.dk/