advice on developing a live site

Just thought I'd pick everyones brains about the best way to go about making changes to a live site.

I'm wondering if there is a way of running two installations of dolphin, on the same server, that both use the same database.

Meaning one that is the primary site,open to the public - and another tester install in another directory, that is only known to me.

This would be for trying out style changes and the odd mod (with a fully populated and therefore quirky membership).

That way I could just swap the files when I have got a new look or function working in the test install, rather than shutting gown and risking making a fatal mod.

How do you manage this yourself? I'd be curious to know.

Or do you think It'd be possible to have 1 db and 2 installs?

thanks.

David

You can run 2 installs on the same server, but do not run them on the same database.  This will cause sql errors that occur in the test site to occur in the production site.  Instead, install an exact copy of the production site into a test directory and simply rename the database.  Then do your changes to the test site, make sure all items work and then implement on the production site. 

am not an expert but i believe you can create a subdomain i.e. dev (www.dev.mydomain.com) and install dolphin as a developing site. not sure if you can use same db which i dont think is recommended anyway. good luck.

Thanks Mydatery and Flipper - a parallel database and dolphin sounds like a good way to go - then I can just redirect whenever i want to make changes.