Where do you get the code to start a forum?

A few practical steps to get a forum actually running (answers tied to @Dani and @stargate3216 above).

Dreamweaver is only an editor — it does not run server-side code. To make a PHP-based forum work you need either (A) a local server stack to develop on your machine or (B) a remote host that supports PHP and a database. For local testing use a package such as XAMPP (Windows/Linux) or MAMP (Mac). These give Apache + PHP + a database so you can run the installer and see errors before you upload. (XAMPP: https://www.apachefriends.org/)

A quick way to check whether a host (for example a Mediacom account) supports PHP/DB is to upload a tiny PHP file and open it in a browser. Create a file named phpinfo.php containing:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

If it shows a PHP configuration page, server-side PHP is enabled. If you only get the source or a 404, the account likely only serves static HTML or requires a different path.

Installation checklist (short):

• Upload forum files into your public web folder (often public_html or www) via FTP from Dreamweaver or an FTP client.
• Create a database and a user in your host control panel (or via phpMyAdmin).
• Run the forum installer in the browser and enter DB credentials.
• After install, remove or lock the installer directory and secure any config files (restrict write permissions).

Troubleshooting & cautions: blank pages usually mean PHP errors — enable error reporting or check server logs. Database connection failures are credential/hostname problems. If you plan to host on a home ISP connection, check terms of service; many consumer accounts block port 80 or disallow running servers. Run regular backups, keep the forum software updated, and use HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt provides free certificates: https://letsencrypt.org/) for login security.