Local development and online live shop

[gretzteam]

Hi,
I understand the need for a local development setup. Say we start everything from scratch.

1) install prestashop locally.
2) install languages, currency install a bunch of modules, edit some files, debug stuff...basically transform a raw install into my shop.
3) when mostly ready and happy with the shop, follow the instructions to upload everything to the server. This seems quite easy, put everything there and modify a few config files.
4) Export the local database and import it online.

Is this really going to update the online 'raw' database with all the fields required. I mean all the fields that prestashop needs, AND also everything that might have been added by the various modules install?

Thanks a lot,
Dave

[shokinro]

I think the database update/upload should only be done at first time.
Once your site goes live, you should not upload your local database unless you download database every time before you make changes. It is not a practical way.

[gretzteam]

Yeah now that I've gotten my head around the problem better, I see what you mean. You do the grunt work offline once, then upload to server. If you need to make new mods later, you simply try offline, and replicate the procedure online when you've debugged it.

This leads me to this question: Isn't it a huge flaw that we cannot create a blank database, if only given a working version of some prestashop store - that might contain custom modules etc..? It seems like the ONLY way we have to create a database with all the required field is to redo the whole thing manually.

Dave

[shokinro]

as a developer, if I will make any changes on database, I will write SQL script.
so when everything tested ok, just run the SQL script, you don't have to do it manually again.

If the changes are module configuration, then I will have to do that again manually on live site.