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Sandvox 2.7's Remote Host Setup Overhaul
We released Sandvox 2.7 last week, and one of the major changes is an overhaul of how you enter the hosting details for remote servers. Here's a nice screenshot:
You might be surprised just how many details are packed into this panel!
Autofill
When typing in your site's URL, Sandvox remembers the most recent setups you've published to, and suggests based on that. We've found it to be a really handy optimisation for anyone who frequently makes new sub-sites.
For new setups, the URL is then also used to take a quick guess at the server you'll be using for uploads.
Site URL Test
Also while entering your site's URL, Sandvox runs a quick check to see how it looks. If the domain's properly registered with a working web server, you get the green light. If the domain hasn't been registered yet, or still needs some setup to be performed, you get the red light and a note of the problem.
Sometimes it can simply be a quick way to spot a typo!
Protocol
We tweaked the popup button slightly so you now get a nice lock icon demonstrating fully secure protocols.
Port
Many of our customers choose to host with A2, who recommend using SFTP to upload. Their SFTP server requires connecting to on a custom port, which Sandvox now helpfully detects based on the server.
Password
Don't you just hate it when you think you might have mistyped your password, but can't know for sure? Well, Sandvox now has a checkbox to show the password in the plain text.
It's also been easy in the past to accidentally include an extra space character in the password if copying and pasting it from an email, say. Sandvox now does its best to detect that and ignore the unwanted space.
We've also given you a checkbox for finer-grained control over whether the password is stored in your keychain.
Folder
Finally, when choosing precisely where to upload the site files to, you can create new folders directly within the browser, much like with a regular Mac save or open panel.