How do I sync Dreamweaver site definitions across 2 computers?

Question

I use Dreamweaver on my laptop and Desktop PC and frequently change between them. I keep all my sites synced using Syncplicity (similar to Dropbox, which indecently I also use)

I want my site definitions to be synced across the two computers. If I add a new site on one computer I want it to appear on the other one. I know I can export all sites on one computer and then get Syncplicity to sync the files to the other computer at which point I can import them. However this relies on me remembering to do this each time I add a new site, and it's also quite time consuming.

As far as I can tell, Dreamweaver (at least upto CS4- not sure about CS5) stupidly stores the site definitions in the registry. I really don't know why they do this- if they stored it in xml files then I could easily sync the information.

Does anyone know if what I am asking is possible?

Answer 1

There is nothing built into Dreamweaver that will allow what you're trying to do. Backing up of sites isn't done automatically (as in exporting the sites to .ste files, which are XML files), although theoretically, a Dreamweaver extension could be made to automate the exporting on a specific schedule (assuming Dreamweaver is open), but you'll run into an issue when you try to import the sites on your laptop, unless you first remove the site definition on the laptop prior to the import due to potential naming conflicts, and you're sites will have to be set up in the exact same location with the location existing when you import the sites, or you'll have to browse to their location(s). Also, I think that import is limited to one site at a time, but I could be wrong about that.

Sounds like you need to contact Syncplicity and ask for the ability to sync parts of the Windows registry in addition to files. Or submit a feature request to Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform Even then, things may not work out well, as the site ftp passwords are encrypted in the registry and I believe that since CS3 the encryption is dependent at least in part on the system that they were stored in the registry with, but I could easily be mistaken on that.

The ftp passwords when exported to a .ste file are encrypted using a different method (at least through CS4) than the encryption in the registry, due to backward compatibility. The following page lists a decode function (in JavaScript) that will allow you to obtain the ftp password once you've pulled their location within an .ste file: http://blog.affirmix.com/2008/08/28/encoded-passwords-in-ste-site-definition-files/

Since you mentioned the registry, for future reference, the site definitions for Dreamweaver CS4 are found at: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Common\10\Sites\ CS5: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Common\11\Sites\

On Mac the Dreamweaver site preference file is located at: CS4 /[drive label]/Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/10/Sites/Site Prefs I don't have CS5 on mac available, but I'd assume that it would store the site settings at: /[drive label]/Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/11/Sites/Site Prefs

Answer 2

Following on from Danilo Celic's helpful response. One way (which I am yet to test) to solve this would be to create a batch file (which in turn could be put as a scheduled task).

The batch file could export the site info to a file in the Dropbox (or another folder that is synched)

This is an example:

regedit /E "C:\Users\My User Name\My Documents\My Dropbox\Dreamweaver\Sites.reg" "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Common\10\Sites\"

Then you could always run a batch file on the other computer to add the registry values from this file.

As Danilo Celic mentioned, this may not work as it would depend on whether Adobe encrypt the site information based on the particular computer system. Not sure if anyone else has tried this before? I'll try and test this when my laptop (eventually) comes back from repair!