Do I need Multisite setup?

Not unless you plan on running all the site from ONE domain.

If you want 100% separate sites that will never interact and be on separate servers in the end, I would do Single Site to design their stuff, and then copy that whole thing up.

Thanks for the quick reply. So the million dollar question is this… how do I point to a given site on my localhost at any given login. Is this a mapping function in XAMPP? I envision that there must be an easy way to have these sites each in their own folder set under htdocs and I FTP them individually to where they need to go but to move from one to another for work is where I’m confused.

Well.

Are you going to be hosting them off your localhost, or do you just want to fake the domain name for testing?

No hosting, just development. Will need to get up to speed on my internal links etc. so that nothing goes live with my local info in it.

Currently on a Windows box but moving to a Mac within the next few weeks and will have to figure out XAMPP etc. on a MAC.

When a given project is done, I’ll ftp it to the host and either archive the folders or if the mapping solution is flexible enough, I’ll just let them sit there.

I MUST have different MYSQL databases and .htaccess files etc. so that each project is complete on its own.

Right, so you do NOT want MultiSite for that ?? Now we know for sure.

Andrea_r once told me that you could ‘trick’ your vhost setting on MAMP or XAMPP (MAMP btw is the dirty easy way to do it for Mac, I’ve done it a few times) so that your local browser thought domain.com was something on YOUR PC and not the network, but as I’ve never needed to do that, the water flows right out my head. 0:)

Yeah, it’s in your local hosts file. you just go to the line with 127.0.0.1 and add the domain name after it. install it locally and presto, bob’s yer uncle.

Why not use Multi-site?

Especially if your just developing and then deploying it speeds up development time.

Here’s my process for developing WP sites locally all from one install of WordPress networking (a friend of mine is actually doing the same but with Domain mapping).

*Assumption, WP networking is installed:
1. Create a “new site” in WordPress Networking admin
2. Build your theme
3. ZIP up your theme
4. Email it to your client or FTP it to there server
5. If need be use the export/import tool in WP to port over content

The url’s for my dev sites look like this:
https://wp.dev/awesome-doors
https://wp.dev/awesome-homes
https://wp.dev/personal-theme
etc.

My friend took it a step further and added the domain mapping plugin, really just for proof of concept. His urls look like this:
https://awesome-doors.dev/
https://awesome-homes.dev/
https://perosnal-theme.dev/

Yes, you can install a fresh copy of WordPress each and everytime you want to build out a new theme, but why?

Zane, the one reason I suggest you NOT, is that if you customize the site with widgets ect, you cannot easily port them from your dev multisite to a new sub site. It’s great for dev work, but not when you know you’re going to want to copy the whole site, settings and all, up. I find it’s less time to make local single sites for that and just copy the whole hog up for anything mildly complicated.

Hello, I am also a newbie to WordPress development. I had this same question. Am I understanding that I have to re-install WordPress every time I have a new site to build? I hope that that isn’t the dumbest question on this forum, but I just have to ask! I plan to design many sites using WordPress. I am coming from a background of GoLive and Dreamweaver, but I want to design sites for CMS. I can no longer keep updating small things in the middle of the night and I want my clients to be responsible for their content. Thanks for this forum!

@ipstenu

In my case I pass widget set-up off to the client, as I’m not managing there content.

Oh the power of WordPress as a CMS! ??

*custom menus do however come over with the import/export tool.

Yeah, Zane, it just depends on the level of support you’re providing with design ?? mine always includes basic widgets.

dzinerchic – it’s a very much ‘it dependds’ answer. What kind of support are you going to provide, etc. If you’re just installing it for them and tossing in a theme, it’s one thing. If you’re doing the whole nine yards, it’s a little different. That said, the actual install, once you get savvy at it, is really minimal time.

@lpstenu I am not sure how much support that I will end up giving – probably more than I want to in training, etc. I am also exploring BuddyPress and think I will recommend that to at least one client. So, perhaps this multisite is the best way for me. Do you have a pros and cons for my decision? I know that my first WordPress client will require much assistance. Thank you for your advice!

Are there links to how to set this up specifically? I am combing through a lot of information. Whew.

Thank you everyone for chiming in on this question. Here is where I stand on this (oh my brain hurts). I already had XAMPP and wordpress running on my PC. With that I made a site (Site_1) Super simple site. Uploaded it to a host provider. Then helped a friend do site #1. Simply archived my wp site content on my hard drive and redid it all again with their stuff. Uploaded that to another host using their account specifics. Of course I then had to do MYSQL modifications and link modifications to get rid of the junk from my Site_1). Now another friend wants Site_3.

Sounds like I can do a mapping on my side to trick local host to point to any given folder I want. Each would need different installs to get the backend MYSQL tables with the right prefixes etc.

Can either Ipstenu or Andrea_r point me to either tech documents or give me search terms to help me find info on HOW to accomplish this? I’m happy to do my own research and leave teh forum for advice and opinions (instead of free training) but need a bit more pointing to the solution.

Again, thanks.

I’m currently developing themes locally using WordPress networking on my MBP and loving it.

Here’s my process for porting WordPress themes to other servers.

1. zip up your theme
2. FTP your theme
3. export content (maybe sample content)
4. import content
5. if need be use this plugin: https://www.ads-software.com/extend/plugins/search-and-replace/ to fix link issues
6. build out your widgets in the admin

There’s no reason to be porting over the db and doing mysql modifications.

Also regarding XAMPP, I wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot stick, I’d use mac ports, but since your on a PC I’d format that and install CentOS ??

https://zanematthew.com/2011/01/23/wordpress-networking-on-mac-osx-part-ii/ but that’s just me ??

I don’t generally do much with themes. If I’m JUST doing basic content, I spin up a test site on my multisite and do a simple export/import.

If I’m doing the whole layout, usually I’ll still use multisite, UNLESS I’m doing heavy configs of widgets and plugins. Then I make a single site on my computer and do it all there, so I can copy the whole hog up.