GL2DW Extension Updated
Rob Keniger has kindly taken the time to patch the GL2DW extension. You can get it here: http://menumachine.com/download/GL2DW.zip. From his description in the Adobe Forums:
1) the extension is now tolerant of any errors copying components or templates. If these errors occur, you will still see an error message but the conversion process will not abort. The extension will also use the Library folder if it can’t find the Snippets folder.
2) the extension will no longer modify any MenuMachine code. This is important if you are still using MenuMachine to manage your menus in the converted site.
If you found his patch useful, do stop by the Adobe Forums and thank Rob for his thoughtful post.
[Announcement via MindPalette/Nate Baldwin]
Help Resources
There are days when tutorials just won’t cut it. Is your question too advanced for the forums? Need to talk to a person instead?
Try connecting to a community of developers. Yahoo! Groups and the Figleaf Mailing Lists are great ways to find and talk to the pros. The ones I subscribe to are:
- Dreamweaver on Yahoo! Groups
- ActionScript Tiger on Yahoo! Groups
- Flash Newbies on Figleaf
- Flash Coders on Figleaf
Some quick tips before asking your first question:
- Search the archives. Chances are good that someone else had the same trouble.
- Be specific. If your question is too broad, it won’t get answered.
- Be brief. 2 page diatribes aren’t read. They’re trashed. Bonus points for clear, concise messages.
- Try a format. E-mails that can be skimmed are good. The ones that get responses are similar in format: a short paragraph to explain your problem, a question at the end of it, a few lines of code after. Complex questions sometimes have 3 paragraphs, a question or two, then some lines of code.
- Mark it OT if it’s a discussion question or off-topic. It signals to others that its something to read at leisure, not a pressing issue.
Preflight: Preparing GoLive files for Dreamweaver
To prevent a bumpy ride when using the GL2DW migration tool, try these preflight tips:
- Duplicate or back up your site. Experiencing the pain of irretrievable data is unnecessary. Why inflict more pain upon yourself?
- Open your site file and make an assessment. Remove any unused files. Forcing the migration tool to copy the folder where you stashed your favorite LOL cat images and never used them only makes the conversion take longer.
- Check the Extras tab for any unused Smart Objects, Components or Templates. Be ruthless and delete anything you aren’t using. Scary, I know. You did remember to make a copy of your site before attempting this stunt, right?
- Rename Library to Snippets while you are there
- Convert as many Smart Objects to regular images as possible
- Remove the <head> information from Components
- Do the find and replace to your Extras Tab. If no results show up, that’s great! It means your code is clean by GoLive standards.
Excessive use of components (more than 3 for a site) will mean a longer converting time. Expect a 1,000 page site with 6 components to churn away for 30 minutes before giving up on the GL2DW Extension Tool.
Anyone else have some preflight tips that help lessen the pain? Post in the comments!
Common GL2DW Questions
Sifting past the Trolls, Flames and Complainers so you don’t have to: pulled from the Adobe Forums, here are some useful common questions and answers about migrating from GoLive to Dreamweaver, using the Migration Extension Tool.
If you would like step by step instructions on manually migrating from GoLive to Dreamweaver, visit Adobe’s web site. They have an excellent set of tutorials by Garrik Chow.
1. Does the GL2DW extension work with GoLive 6, GoLive 7 or GoLive CS1?
No, it only works for GoLive CS2 and GoLive 9. But don’t despair, there are workarounds. If you can’t get your hands on GoLive CS2, download the free trial version of GoLive 9. Open your sites in GoLive 9, then convert to Dreamweaver CS3 using the GL2DW extension.
And if you have CS2, do not upgrade to GoLive 9 and then convert to Dreamweaver CS3. It will only complicate things – the interface to GoLive9 has changed [along with some features removed or simplified] so it becomes harder to track down the errors and fix them.
2. Can I download the GL2DW Extension somewhere?
Not yet. Adobe has packaged it with: Web Standard, Web Premium, Design Premium and Master versions of Creative Suite 3. No support or upgrades formally announced for the extension, either.
3. Where is the GL2DW Extension located?
In the Creative Suite 3 Web Premium version: Content disk [the second disk] >> Goodies folder >> Dreamweaver folder >> Migrating from GoLive folder.
If you downloaded CS3 instead of ordering disks, you may have to contact Adobe’s customer service. The migration tool was not included in some of the first digital deliveries of CS3.
4. Where do I find the instructions on how to install and use this thing?
For a quick start, check the Read Me file that comes with the extension. The GL2DW Site Migration Extension Guide has detailed instructions that will get you up and running.
The GL2DW FAQ page has additional resources to help answer any other questions you may have.
5 Tips to Enhance the GL2DW Workflow
GoLive Users: Migrating to Dreamweaver doesn’t have to be a headache. Quickly make Dreamweaver look less intimidating and reclaim your workflow with these handy tweaks.
1. Break the File Panel out of the box.
In the Files Panel, Files tab, look for this button: 
Now it will look reminiscent of GoLive’s Site File View.
2. Change the View. Don’t like the backwards interface on the Files panel? Keep yourself from accidentally downloading files instead of uploading them by changing the view. Dreamweaver -> Preferences… -> Site. Always Show: Local files on the Left
Starting to look familiar now?
3. Arrange your workspace. I have a 20 inch monitor with a 16:4 aspect ratio, so the properties panel and toolbars panel docked to the absolute left makes my workspace feel scattered.
Scoot your panels, open, close, or resize them. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable with Dreamweaver. To save it: Window -> Workspace Layout -> Save Current.
4. Turn on icons for invisible elements such as BR tags, Coldfusion, Comments, or for any other items you prefer have visual cues. Dreamweaver ->Preferences… -> Category: Invisible Elements. Check all that apply.
5. Track your orphaned files. Miss the feature in GoLive that tells you if a file is used or not? Dreamweaver has that. Site -> Check Links Sitewide. Show: Orphaned Files. But be careful not to delete files willy-nilly: relative Coldfusion links, relative external links in a .swf, and a few other imported files may be miscategorized as orphaned. Notice the expressinstall.as file I import into my intro.swf is listed here.
Want more? See the complete GL2DW FAQ page for all posts related to migrating.
