When setting up debug configurations for Eclipse, I often have my files living in a subdirectory of my web server root. For example, at directory drydock/ I have a full replica of whatever live site I am working on.
On my hosting, I have the same directory structure and a subdomain set up so that drydock.crotown.com maps to the drydock subdirectory. Then the site drydock.crotown.com lets me put changes on the web for testing and approval, before the actual live site is touched.