Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Hands-On Training

Description

With its powerful combination of visual layout tools, application development features, and code editing support, Dreamweaver MX 2004 is sure to become the constant companion of many Web developers. Here to get you hands-on with it fast is the definitive project-based training on the topic from one of the master teachers at Linda.com training. Using a combination of project-based lessons, guided exercises, and QuickTime tutorials, veteran author Garo Green walks you through all the Dreamweaver MX 04 basics: navigating the new interface, creating and managing Web sites, and linking among pages. You'll learn about frames and forms, cascading style sheets, and Fireworks and Flash integration, and gobble up Garo¿s suggestions about best layout and typography practices. You'll also find extensive coverage of all of Dreamweaver's newest features: dynamic cross-browser validation, improved CSS support, built-in graphics editing, and more. Throughout, Garo shows you not just how to do something but why you¿re doing it and the results of your actions.

Back Cover

With its powerful combination of visual layout tools, application development features, and code editing support, Dreamweaver MX 2004 is sure to become the constant companion of many Web developers. Here to get you hands-on with it fast is the definitive project-based training on the topic from one of the master teachers at Linda.com training. Using a combination of project-based lessons, guided exercises, and QuickTime tutorials, veteran author Garo Green walks you through all the Dreamweaver MX 04 basics: navigating the new interface, creating and managing Web sites, and linking among pages. You'll learn about frames and forms, cascading style sheets, and Fireworks and Flash integration, and gobble up Garo¿s suggestions about best layout and typography practices. You'll also find extensive coverage of all of Dreamweaver's newest features: dynamic cross-browser validation, improved CSS support, built-in graphics editing, and more. Throughout, Garo shows you not just how to do something but why you¿re doing it and the results of your actions.

Contents


Introduction.


1. Background.
What Is Dreamweaver MX 2004? HTML versus XHTML. Roundtrip XHTML. Do You Need to Learn XHTML to Use Dreamweaver? XHTML Resources. What Does XHTML Do? What Does XHTML Look Like? XHTML Code Deconstructed. File-Naming Conventions. File Name Extensions. What Is CSS? What Is XML? Extending Dreamweaver. What Is DHTML? What Is JavaScript? What Is a Web Application?

2. Interface.
Setting Up Your Workspace (Windows Users Only). A Tour of the Interface. Windows Interface. Macintosh Interface. The Start Page. The Insert Bar. Types of Insert Bar Groups. The Properties Inspector. The Document Toolbar. The Document Window. Document Window Views. Multiple Document Windows (Windows Users Only). Panels and Panel Groups. Preferences. External Editors. Preset Window Sizes. How to Define Your Browser of Choice. Shortcut Keys.

3. Site Control.
What Is a Local Root Folder? Exercise 1. Defining a Site. Exercise 2. Relative and Absolute Links. Exercise 3. File and Folder Management. Exercise 4. Understanding Path Structure. Different Path Notations. Exercise 5. Using the File Browser. Exercise 6. Creating a Site Map. Exercise 7. Creating a Site from Nothing.

4. Basics.
Exercise 1. Defining the Site. Exercise 2. Creating and Saving a New Document. The Significance of index.html. Exercise 3. Inserting Images. Exercise 4. Inserting Text. Exercise 5. Centering Images and Text. Exercise 6. Modifying Page Properties. The Page Properties Panel. The Dreamweaver MX 2004 Color Pickers. Exercise 7. Creating Links with Images and Text. Exercise 8. <meta> Tags.

5. Linking.
Exercise 1. Linking with Point to File. Exercise 2. Linking to New Source Files. Exercise 3. Creating Email Links. Exercise 4. Named Anchors. Exercise 5. Image Maps. Exercise 6. Linking to Files.

6. Typography.
CSS versus XHTML Text Formatting. Valid XHTML Type Elements. Default CSS Formatting. Exercise 1. Adding and Formatting HTML Text. Exercise 2. Font Lists. Exercise 3. Aligning Text. Aligning Text and Images. Exercise 4. Ordered, Unordered, and Definition Lists. Exercise 5. Color Schemes. Exercise 6. Formatting Text in Tables. What Is Flash Text? Exercise 7. Creating Flash Text.

7. Tables.
What Is a Table? Exercise 1. Changing the Border of a Table. Exercise 2. Sorting the Table. Exercise 3. Formatting a Table. The Format Table Command. Exercise 4. Creating and Modifying a Table. Exercise 5. Aligning Images and Text with Tables. Exercise 6. Percentage-Based Table Alignment. Exercise 7. Combining Pixels and Percentages. Exercise 8. Inserting Tab-Delimited Data. Import Tabular Data Settings. Exercise 9. Nested Tables and Borders. Exercise 10. Rounded-Corner Tables.

8. Layout.
What Are Tracing Images, Layers, and Tables? Exercise 1. Applying a Tracing Image. Tracing Images, Background Colors, and Images. Exercise 2. Adding Layers. Exercise 3. Converting Layers to Tables. Convert Layers to Table Options. Exercise 4. Converting Tables to Layers. What Is the Layout View? Layers to Tables versus Layout View. Exercise 5. Layout Tables and Layout Cells. Anatomy of Layout Cells.

9. Cascading Style Sheets.
Levels of CSS. The Cascading Part of Style Sheets. Types of Style Sheets. Anatomy of a Style Sheet. CSS Preferences in Dreamweaver. Exercise 1. CSS and Page Properties. Exercise 2. Exporting and Linking External CSS Files. Exercise 3. Creating CSS-Redefining HTML Tags. Redefine HTML, Custom Class, or Selectors? Exercise 4. Creating Classes. The Relevant CSS Panel. Exercise 5. Using the Relevant CSS Panel. Exercise 6. CSS Rollovers.

10. Frames.
What Are Frames? Frames: A Love-or-Hate Proposition. Exercise 1. Saving Your First Frameset. Different Ways to Save Frames. Exercise 2. Modifying Frames. Exercise 3. Links and Targets. Target Names. Exercise 4. Adding a Background Image. Units. Frame Properties. Exercise 5. Seamless Background Across Two Frames. Exercise 6. Frames Objects.

11. Rollovers.
Rollover Rules. Exercise 1. Creating a Simple Rollover. Exercise 2. Creating Pointer Rollovers. Exercise 3. Creating Multiple-Event Rollovers. What Are Flash Buttons? Exercise 4. Creating Flash Buttons. Exercise 5. Inserting a Navigation Bar Rollover. Different Rollover States.

12. XHTML.
Exercise 1. Viewing the Markup. Options in Code View. Exercise 2. Editing in Code View. Exercise 3. Using the Quick Tag Editor. Exercise 4. Using the Tag Editor and Tag Chooser. Exercise 5. Adding XHTML Using a Code Snippet. Exercise 6. Cleaning Up XHTML. Options for Cleaning Up XHTML. Exercise 7. Cleaning Up Word HTML.

13. Forms.
The Forms Panel. Form Objects. Exercise 1. Working with Form Objects. Exercise 2. Laying Out a Form with Tables. Exercise 3. Creating a Jump Menu.

14. Behaviors.
Exercise 1. Creating a Set Text of Status Bar Behavior. Exercise 2. Creating a Set Text of Text Field Behavior. Exercise 3. Opening a New Browser Window. Exercise 4. Validating Forms with Behaviors. The Macromedia Dreamweaver Exchange. Exercise 5. Downloading from Dreamweaver Exchange.

15. Fireworks Integration.
The Importance of Design Notes. External Image Editor and Launch and Edit Preferences. Exercise 1. Inserting Fireworks MX 2004 Images. Exercise 2. Editing Images with Built-in Fireworks MX 2004 Tools. Exercise 3. Editing a Fireworks MX 2004 Image. Exercise 4. Inserting Simple Rollovers from Fireworks MX 2004. Exercise 5. Updating Fireworks HTML in Dreamweaver. About Fireworks MX 2004 Export Settings. Exercise 6. Editing an HTML-Based Pop-Up Menu. Exercise 7. Editing an Image-Based Pop-Up Menu. Exercise 8. Adding a Dreamweaver MX 2004 Pop-Up Menu Behavior.

16. Automation.
What Is the History Panel? Exercise 1. Using the History Panel for Undo/Redo. Exercise 2. Using Find and Replace. What Is a Web Photo Album? Getting More Commands. Exercise 3. Creating a Web Photo Album.

17. Templates/Libraries.
Exercise 1. Templates in Action. Exercise 2. Creating a New Template. Exercise 3. Modifying a Template. Exercise 4. Library Items in Action. Exercise 5. Creating a Library Item. Exercise 6. Modifying a Library Item.

18. Accessibility.
W3C Accessibility Guidelines. Exercise 1. Accessibility Preferences. IBM Home Page Reader. Exercise 2. Inserting Accessible Images. Exercise 3. Inserting Accessible Tables. Exercise 4. Inserting Accessible Frames. Exercise 5. Inserting Accessible Form Objects. Input Tag Accessibility Attributes.

19. Inserting Media Objects.
Plug-Ins Require Viewer Participation. Exercise 1. Linking to Sounds. Different Sound Formats. Exercise 2. Embedding Sounds. Exercise 3. Inserting Flash Content. Exercise 4. Inserting Director (Shockwave) Content. What Is QuickTime? Exercise 5. Inserting a QuickTime Movie.

20. Getting It Online.
Free Web Hosting with Tripod. Exercise 1. Signing Up with Tripod. Exercise 2. Setting the FTP Preferences. What Is FTP? Exercise 3. Putting Files onto the Web Server. Exercise 4. Getting Site Reports. The Reports Dialog Box.

A. Troubleshooting FAQ and Technical Support.
Macromedia Technical Support. Peachpit Press. lynda.com. Dreamweaver MX 2004-Emerging Issues. Frequently Asked Questions.

B. Online Resources.
Discussion Groups. Listservs. A Few Third-Party Dreamweaver Web Sites.

Index.

Features

• Exclusive instruction from Garo Green at lynda.com—One of the world's leading Web design training teams.

  • Teaches core principles from a designer's perspective.

• CD-ROM sample files—Includes starter and finished exercise files to accompany every project.

• QuickTime movie tutorials—Instructional QuickTime movies included on the CD-ROM helps student with key techniques.

• Insiders Tips, Charts, and Background Information—Practical insights from professional designers.

• NEW - Updated to cover Dreamweaver MX 2004's new features—Dynamic cross-browser validation, improved CSS support, built-in graphics editing, and more.

Author

Garo Green is the Director of Publications at lynda.com, where he manages the Hands-On-Training series. Garo has worked extensively in the development of custom curricula and courseware for software training, and he has more than 8 years of teaching experience in both hardware and software applications. He is known worldwide for his enthusiastic, approachable, and humanistic teaching style.

Garo is the author of several Hands-On-Training books and web design training CD-ROMs, including Learning Dreamweaver MX 2004, Learning Windows XP, and several others. He has also been a featured speaker at the Web99 and FlashForward conferences.

In his spare time, he can be found on his dirt bike testing the limits of gravity or at home healing from the inevitable dirt bike injury. He has also been known to sneak away, several times a day, to the local Starbucks for a double latte &#0;to be honest it's usually a triple shot) with hazelnut. Of course, this might explain why he talks so fast!

Note | About lynda.com/books and lynda.com

lynda.com/books is dedicated to helping designers and developers understand tools and design principles. lynda.com offers hands-on workshops, training seminars, conferences, on-site training, training videos, training CDs, and "expert tips" for design and development. To learn more about our training programs, books, and products, be sure to give our site a visit at http://www.lynda.com.