Here are the instructions to go from local development and testing to updating your live site:
Developing your site locally
- Open MAMP and start the server
- Open GitHub for Mac app and sync so that the GitHub.com repository is the same as local repo and vice versa
- Open Finder -> Applications -> MAMP -> htdocs -> [project-directory-name] -> wordpress -> wp-content
- Open Sublime Text 2
- Drag the WordPress file(s) or directory you want to edit over the Sublime dock icon
- Edit your file(s) in Sublime for a discrete update
- Save your file(s) in Sublime for that discrete
- Preview that page in your browser at http://localhost:8888/[project-directory-name-here]/wordpress/ or start at http://localhost:8888/ and drill down through the directories
- If you need to install a plugin or activate a themes, log into the admin at http://localhost:8888/[test-directory-name-here]/wordpress/wp-admin
- If it all looks good, commit & sync that discrete update with a descriptive message; start with an action verb such as add, update, fix, etc.
- Repeat as needed for each discrete update
Updating on your web server
- Open Cyberduck
- Connect to your web server
- Open the corresponding directory where your files go (e.g. /wp-content/themes or /wp-content/plugins)
- Pull up the Finder window
- Drag and drop the file or directory into Cyberduck
After local site is ready to go “live”
- in Cyberduck, upload/replace wp-content
- on the live site /wp-admin
- verify that your correct theme is activated
- verify that all the necessary plugins are activated
- make sure the appearance of the live site is correct
- on your local site, go Tools -> Export
- on your live site, go to Tools -> Import
- check the box to “include file attachments”
- verify the content appears correctly on your live site
- make sure your settings are the same