Which directory to install - Good Practices

[HOBOcs]

I've created a "Test Store" in www.mydomain.com/teststore which I've been playing around. I'm using Dreamhost and this is where I installed it using their "One-Click" install facility.

I'm now ready to create a "Live" store.

What should I do? Create a new store in www.mydomain.com
or www.mydomain.com/prodstore.


Is it easy to move info from one environment to another (test to prod).

Thoughts / direction much appreciated.

[Website Rob]

As far as Good Practices go, having a Test setup is always a good idea.

If ready to go live then just copy everything within the 'teststore' dir. to your Document Root dir. - /home/userid/public_html/ for example.

Then you need to create a new database and change both config files to use the new path and new database.

You will then have a 'live' store whilst still having a separate setup for testing. The two are independent of each other so changes to one will not affect the other. Now you can "test" things in the "teststore" setup, to make sure they work as planned, then copy changes over to your "live" setup.

[HOBOcs]

Ok, then you'd recommend a second (or main) install in my root.
And then as I make changes in test then I could move over to the "Prod" as required. (or just make them in the prod store.