Rebuild of Website

[QHF]

The director of the non-profit organization whose website I help maintain has decided to revamp the entire site. What I would like to know...how can I rebuild the website in a test environment? I was thinking maybe setting up an add-on domain, building the site there, then when approved, get rid of the add-on domain and make it the actual domain. Would this be possible or do I have to redo the site in a "live" environment.

[Matt]

The way you described it is a good way to do it, and one of the most common uses for addon domains.

[QHF]

Mat,

Referring back to this post, http://glowhost.com/forums/general-s...ages-1066.html I did as Andychev suggested and renamed the public_html folder that contains the current website to public_html.old and created a new public_html folder with only an informational index page. If I want to do an addon domain as a testing platform for rebuilding the website, which folder should I put the addon domain in, the renamed public_html.old folder or the new pubic_html folder that only has an index page?

[Matt]

I would think neither.

When you create an addon domain in cPanel it asks you what directory you'd like to use, and if it doesn't exist, it will create one for you inside of public_html.

[QHF]

Thanks for the information, as always, your the best!

[QHF]

Will I be able to build a new website using a subdomain instead of an addon domain? I'm asking because after going to Cpanel>Addon Domains, I found an addon domain has to be a registered domain and have the DNS servers pointing to it.

[Matt]

Yes but it can be a pain in the butt if you don't code your site properly to convert it back to a standard domain from a subdomain. You are going to need the domain anyways, I'd register it and use the addon domain or if it is hosted somewhere else and do not want to point it yet, then I would just use a test domain to display the content.

[rlhanson]

I simply make another directory on the domain and completely design within that directory. I move the files I need into appropriate directories within the created one (i.e., images, etc.) that way my links are intact when I move the site into the public_html directory.
I like to do it this way as it's nice to clean out some of the images and files that are just hanging around and not being used. I design in dreamweaver though and using the site manager really makes it easy.

Just my two-cents...

[QHF]

Thanks for your input. Everyone's two-cents is welcome. If I get five opinions, suggestions, I'll have a ten-cents...!

[rlhanson]

I'll have a ten-cents...!

lol! That's about what an opinion can be worth sometimes! j/k

We should start an "opinion" thread - talk about getting some cents! lol