The check-in/check-out feature

In the videos about defining a site, I mentioned briefly the option of check-in/check-out. If you are the only one working on a site, you do not want to select this checkbox in the Site Definition window. However, if a group of people are working on a site, unless they are working in separate folders on the site, then you might want to activate this feature. When this feature is activated, if someone checks out a file from the remote server, that file is locked and cannot be deleted or changed by another person until the file is checked back in. This feature only works if the entire group is using Dreamweaver and all have enabled check-in/check-out, are using the Files panel and are connected to the remote server.
	If you turn on the check-in/check-out feature in the Site Definition window, other options appear, as are shown to the left. Entering a name and email lets Dreamweaver tag the file with the person working on the file.
With check in/out activated, you no longer use the PUT or the GET icons in the files listing, as was shown in the videos showing uploading files. You use the two icons boxed below, the one on the left for checking out a file (from the remote server) and the one on the right for posting a file to the server.
The screen capture below shows the remote display of a site using the check-in/out feature. The checkmark in front of the file shows that particular file is checked out. A copy of it cannot be checked out by anyone else until the file is returned.
	Not only are files marked on the remote server, but once you post a new file to the remote site, the local view shows a lock symbol in front of the filename. This is just a reminder that you cannot open the "local copy," but rather you have to go to the remote site to get a copy of the file to edit it. The other files showing in the display are not locked, because they have not yet been posted to the server.
If check-in/out is used, you cannot just "open" a file locally. You have to get a copy from the remote site and then work with that copy, and then check the file back into the server. It is more of a hassle to use this feature than the normal way of posting and getting files. But if everyone working on a site uses this feature, it will prevent two or more people working on the same document at the same time. These tips are created as part of a class on Dreamweaver Basics.