Macromedia Dreamweaver 8: Training from the Source

Dreamweaver 8 combines powerful visual layout tools with robust text-based HTML editing features for the creation, management, and maintenance of Web sites. It gives beginners immediate access to the tools need for creating Web pages while allowing experienced developers who are familiar with hand-coding to work directly with the code when needed. This flexible program makes advanced techniques accessible and easy to use. The integration of powerful design, code, and interactive features provides a wealth of benefits to both beginners and advanced users.

Prerequisites

This book is intended to familiarize you with the Dreamweaver development environment and focuses on equipping you with the skills needed to lay out and design Web pages. Because it is geared toward beginner and intermediate users who may have little or no previous experience with Dreamweaver, coverage of advanced application building and dynamic Web site creation with the use of databases, server behaviors and Web applications is outside the scope of this book. Those features require knowledge and understanding of dynamic design concepts and of the languages used to create these sites-including ASP, JSP, ColdFusion and more. For those who are interested in learning about the code, Lesson 16 will get you started in the coding environment, demonstrating how to work with Dreamweaver's coding tools and pointing you to resources within the program that will enable you to learn more.

The instructions in this book are designed for Web designers, Web developers, and others interested in creating Web pages. This book assumes that you are a beginner with Dreamweaver, but are familiar with the basic methods of giving commands on a Macintosh or Windows computer, such as choosing items from menus, opening and saving files, and so on.

To get the most out of this book, it is recommended that you have basic familiarity with the Web. A general understanding of standard word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word, is also helpful, although not required.

Finally, the instructions in this book assume that you already have Dreamweaver 8 installed on a Macintosh or Windows computer, and that your computer meets the system requirements listed on page 5. This minimum configuration allows you to run Dreamweaver 8; a demo version is included for your use on the CD. You can complete the lessons with the trial version of the software, but the demo version functions for only 30 days, after which the program will no longer launch without a serial number.

Outline

This book steps you through the projects in each lesson, presents the major features and tools in Dreamweaver 8, and guides you toward developing the skills you need to create Web sites. All lessons should take approximately 2428 hours in length and includes the following lessons:

Lesson 1: Dreamweaver 8 Basics

Lesson 2: Adding Content to a Page

Lesson 3: Creating Links

Lesson 4: Developing Style Sheets

Lesson 5: Working with Graphics

Lesson 6: Creating Tables

Lesson 7: Using Multimedia

Lesson 8: Adding User Interactivity

Lesson 9: Creating Layers

Lesson 10: Creating Frames

Lesson 11: Creating Forms

Lesson 12: Using Library Items

Lesson 13: Using Templates

Lesson 14: Managing Your Site

Lesson 15: Accessibility and Testing

Lesson 16: Editing the Code

Lesson 17: Using Find and Replace

Appendix A: Regular Expressions

Appendix B: Macintosh Shortcuts

Appendix C: Windows Shortcuts

Elements and Format

Each lesson begins with an overview of the lesson's content and learning objectives. Lessons are divided into individual tasks that help you learn and utilize various aspects of the lesson's topic.

This book is part of the Training from the Source series. It contains conceptual information, in-depth material, and step-by-step explanations. In addition, each lesson includes the following special features:

  • Special font for code: To help you easily identify code within the book, the code has been styled in a special font that's unique from the rest of the text.

  • Italic text: An italic font is used to show text the reader types. As you work your way through the numbered steps, you can see immediately your next typed entry.

  • Tips: Tips contain shortcuts for carrying out common tasks, and ways you can use the skills you're learning to solve common problems.

  • Notes: Notes provide additional information pertaining to the task at hand.

  • Appendices: The Appendices contains a variety of helpful Dreamweaver-related information, from regular expressions to keyboard shortcuts for both PC and Mac.

This course is developed to help you build your skills progressively as you work through each lesson. When you've completed the entire course, you'll have a thorough knowledge of Dreamweaver.

The accompanying CD contains all the files necessary to complete each lesson. Files for each lesson appear in a folder titled with the lesson number. It is strongly suggested that you create a folder on your hard drive and transfer all lesson files to that folder prior to beginning the course.

The lessons in this book assume that the following statements are true:

  • You're familiar with using menus, opening and saving files, and so on for either the Windows or Macintosh operating system.

  • Dreamweaver 8 is already installed on your machine.

  • Your computer meets the system requirements listed in the following section.

Macromedia Training from the Source

Ideal for active learners, the books in the Training from the Source series offer hands-on instruction designed to provide you with a solid grounding in the program's fundamentals. If you learn best by doing, this is the series for you. Each Training from the Source title contains hours of instruction. They are designed to teach the techniques that you need to create sophisticated professional-level projects. Each book includes a CD-ROM that contains all the files used in the lessons, completed projects for comparison, and more.

Macromedia Authorized Training and Certification

This book is designed to enable you to study at your own pace with content from the source. Other training options exist through the Macromedia Authorized Training Partner program. Get up to speed in a matter of days with task-oriented courses taught by Macromedia Certified Instructors. Or learn on your own with interactive online training from Macromedia University. All these sources of training will prepare you to become a Macromedia Certified Developer.

For more information about authorized training and certification, check out www.macromedia.com/support/training.

What You Will Learn

As you work through these lessons, you will develop the skills you need to create and maintain your own Web sites.

By the end of this course, you will be able to do all of the following:

  • Open Dreamweaver, create pages, and preview them in browsers

  • Format text in different sizes, colors and styles using integrated styles

  • Import text from a variety of sources, including text files, Word documents, and spreadsheets

  • Insert graphics and control their appearance

  • Create and manage email and internal and external inks throughout your site

  • Learn how to make changes directly within the HTML code

  • Place text and graphics within tables to achiever more control over the layout

  • Make use of image rollovers and other interactive elements

  • Use the site window to manage your files and folders

  • Develop library items to use the same elements quickly and repeatedly

  • Create templates to set the look and feel of a site

  • Make your pages accessible and redirect visitors according to the browser version they are using

  • Insert a background graphics or change the background colors of your pages

  • Specify text attributes using cascading style sheets to gain more control over the appearance of text

  • Customize and extend Dreamweaver's capabilities to suit your needs

Minimum System Requirements

Windows

  • 800 MHz Intel Pentium III processor (or equivalent) and later

  • Microsoft Windows 2000, or Windows XP

  • 256 MB RAM (1 GB recommended to run more than one Studio 8 product simultaneously)

  • 1024 x 768, 16-bit display (32-bit recommended)

  • 650 MB available disk space

Macintosh

  • 600 MHz PowerPC G3 and later

  • Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4

  • 256 MB RAM (1 GB recommended to run more than one Studio 8 product simultaneously)

  • 1024 x 768, thousands of colors display (millions of colors recommended)

  • 300 MB available disk space

Категории