Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 UNLEASHED

Chapter 22. Working with Server-Side Technologies

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Working with the IIS Web Server

• Installing and Working with ASP

• Installing and Working with ASP.NET

• Installing and Working with ColdFusion

• Installing and Working with PHP

Now that you've been formally introduced to the terminology that is server-side Web developmentincluding dynamic web pages, web applications, databases, SQL, and DSNsyou're ready to move forward into the realm of installation, setup, and configuration for the actual server-side technology you plan to use.

By now you should have some sort of idea about the architecture of your organization. Do you have a Windows server-based operating system such as Windows Server 2000 or 2003? Are your plans to develop web applications using a development machine running Windows XP Pro and then uploading the finished product to a server when finished? Do you want to minimize installation and configuration? Are you merely a novice who is interested in tinkering with dynamic web page development? The answers to these questions can help you quickly determine what server-side technology you plan to use with Dreamweaver. It's important to note that Dreamweaver's functionality for creating dynamic web pages is nearly identical regardless of server-side technology. And because you won't be interacting with the code all that much, picking a server-side technology shouldn't be all that difficult; they all have the same bells and whistles built into Dreamweaver.

If you haven't made a decision on the server-side technology you want to use, don't worry. In this chapter, I'll demystify each of your options. I'll provide an overview on the web server we'll be using in IIS as well as detail the nuances, installation procedures, and configuration routines (if any) for the four server-side technologies that we'll cover throughout the rest of the book. By the end of the chapter, you'll have a web server up and running, a server-side technology installed and configured, and a simple dynamic page working!