Setting up a PHP Site & MySQL Connection in Dreamweaver MX Support
In this tutorial we're going back to basics, or rather making sure we can really get to grips with the basics, as we look at how to set up a site definition for a PHP site in Dreamweaver MX and then see how we can connect to a MySQL database residing on our web hosts server.
We'll be starting by understanding the theory behind how Dreamweaver acceses remote MySQL installations (the process Dreamweaver MX uses to connect to the MySQL server isn't as straightforward as most people think, as its designed to get round a number of security limitations which are often in force on web hosting accounts).
Armed with that knowledge we'll then set about making sure our site configuration is appropriate before we attempt to make a connection. After walking through the steps required, we'll also look at a few common errors you may encounter.
Gareth Downes-Powell
Gareth has a range of skills, covering many computer and internet related subjects. He is proficient in many different languages including ASP and PHP, and is responsible for the setup and maintenance of both Windows and Linux servers on a daily basis.
In his daily web development work he uses the complete range of Macromedia software, including Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX, Fireworks MX and Director to build a number of websites and applications. Gareth has a close relationship with Macromedia, and as a member of Team Macromedia Dreamweaver, he has worked closely in the development of Dreamweaver, and was a beta tester for Dreamweaver MX.
On a daily basis he provides support for users in the Macromedia forums, answering questions and providing help on a range of different web related subjects. He has also written a number of free and commercial extensions for Dreamweaver MX, to further extend its capabilities using its native JavaScript API’s or C++.
As a web host, Gareth has worked with a range of different servers and operating systems, with the Linux OS as his personal favourite. Most of his development work is done using a combination of Linux, Apache and MySQL and he has written extensively about setting up this type of system, and also running Apache and MySQL under Windows.