What software do you use?method for live joomla development?

[m2d^]

Hello Developers, I have been developing for sometime now and wonder if I am doing it the right way.

My question is:
If you are editing a live page on a server, like customizing a template what is the best method.
what software and what way do you live edit a joomla site and check the results?

I used to:
download using filezilla -> opens with dreamweaver
Dreamweaver make the changes and save -> sent to filezilla (filezilla confirm box to send/overwrite
Go to the browser -> F5 to refresh the page and see the result of the change on dreamweaver

I used to:
Use coda2 on MAC, that allows to: filebrowser/edit file/save/website browser all inside the same software

Is there a software like coda2 for windows, that allows us to filebrowser, edit the file, browser the website (with developer tools)??
please share your method.
(I do know things should be done in localhost and that would be a diferent method)

kind regards,
M2D

[Webdongle]

Small edits on the server

In Joomla make a copy of the Template and set it default

In Filezilla
Edit file (it downloads and opens in my default css/html/php editor)
Make edit ... save
Click to upload (via Filezilla) the changes to the server
Refresh Browser


Larger edits Xampp localhost on my PC
Install Joomla with sample data
In Joomla make a copy of the Template and set it default
Open file from Windows explorer (it opens in my default css/html/php editor)
Make edit ... save
Refresh Browser
When all finished ... zip up the new Template and install in the working Joomla.


http://www.snapfiles.com/get/notepadplus.html is my default css/html/php editor. Saved changes can be undone until Notepad++ is closed.

In both scenarios I use Firefox/Firebug to test changes in css code before editing the file. There is an addon to save the Firebug changes to the site https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... /firefile/

You could also use HTML-kit ... that has an internal ftp and is just drag/drop to replace the file on the server with the edit

[m2d^]

thank you for your input webdongle!

Im going to test that firefox plugin, editing the code in firebug and ability to save it directly on the server is a game changer!

thank you!