Working Locally VS Online
Saturday, September 5th, 2009 Blog, Freelance, Programming, Website Design by adminSo which is better? Developing online or on a local web server?
Often I get the question of whether I like to working locally or online, while in the end they both have their advantages and 
disadvantages I prefer a combination of both.
It really depends on (2) things:
1 – Type of Project
Obviously if the project is very small fix or addition to a current site it only makes sense to develop it online. Although when dealing with slightly larger additions or multiple fixes I find myself questioning the amount of time and work it would take to bring the site to my local environment versus the benefits of doing so. These should be weighed carefully because spending your time is costing you money, you shouldn’t always choose the quickest most profitable way, but you should always chose the most efficient way, even if it’s not what you are use to, and if you do you will find in time the most efficient way is what you are use to.
2 – Type of Client
Although this is number two on my list it’s equally, if not more, important than the type of project. Although unlike the internal debates that may arise deciding based on the type of project this one you will know almost instantly. It’s simple, does the client need to be actively involved in the project? If so, then you should almost always develop online. There is always the argument of developing locally and posting the changes, but I personally find this far too cumbersome. Again this is just a blog post (my opinions).
Pros & Cons List:
Working Locally
Pros
- Very Quick Load Time to refresh page
- Instant implementation of code changes (no uploading)
- Speeds up development time as a whole
Cons
- Perfect server environment – When you transfer to live server you may find yourself spending hours configuring it.
- Email is very hard to setup
Working Online
Pros
- You can involve the client quite a bit in the design process
- Production server environment no worries about server compatibility
Cons
- The client constantly views the site and bugs you insatiably about known bugs
- Slower Development (code edits, page load time)
Conclusion
I almost always use a combination of both. I will develop the core features and functions locally and the post it online and continue the work from there.
What do you do? I’d like to hear your comments.