Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 on Demand

By Steve Johnson with Andy Anderson, Perspection, Inc.

QUE Publishing, © 2008

I’m in the process of learning the various applications within Adobe CS3, so I was happy to find Steve Johnson’s book on Dreamweaver. This was my first experience with a book from the “On Demand” series, but I’ll certainly look for others, since I found the format to be very useful and easy to follow.

I’ve been using Dreamweaver since version 4. I’ve taken classes and read other books on the software, but found this book to be extremely helpful for everything from the basics to very advanced topics. It presents the material in a tutorial style and is designed to walk a new user through learning the software, step-by-step. However, since each topic is presented as a concise lesson on a particular feature or function, the book is also well suited to intermediate and advanced users needing a reference on how to perform specific tasks. Each mini-tutorial is 1 to 2 pages with full color illustrations and a brief, to-the-point example of how to complete the task. The instructions are easy to understand and don’t force the reader to wade through extensive amounts of text to find out how to do something. A detailed Table of Contents lists each task, making it easy to locate information when needed for reference or as a refresher. Items that are new to this version of the program are highlighted in the Contents to make it easy for previous users to update their skills.

Tutorials begin with the very basic tasks of defining and planning a website, even before opening Dreamweaver. Chapter 1 is only 11 pages, but it shows how to use creative and organizational skills to make sure the site you create in Dreamweaver is engaging, functional and useful to your visitors. Without these baby steps, creating a website would lack the necessary foundation to make learning Dreamweaver useful.

The next chapters show users how to handle the mechanics of Dreamweaver, such as installing and launching the software, finding your way around the interface, creating and working with basic web pages and sites, setting program preferences, customizing the work environment, and how to get help when needed.

After the reader is settled into the software, the rest of the book progresses through increasingly complex topics such as working with files and folders, defining properties of pages throughout a website, working with web page text and images, using links, creating tables, using CSS for styles and positioning, handling frames, incorporating multimedia elements such as Flash, video and sound, and working with forms. For those wanting more control of their content, the next chapters delve into working with HTML code, behaviors, Spry components, code snippets and libraries, and using templates for a cohesive site. Even though I’ve used Dreamweaver for some time as a hobbyist and student, I’d never ventured much beyond the basics. The clear and non-intimidating coverage of more advanced topics made it easy to understand how to transition into using these features.

Once a site has been created, there is still work to be done. Starting with Chapter 19, the author shows how to test and manage a web site to insure it’s functional, clean, compatible with various browsers, and easy to deal with as it grows. Users learn how to upload a site to the Internet for use by other visitors, although it seems this topic might have been better placed earlier in the book as a more basic function.

The last two chapters are icing on the cake. Although you could get by without them, they complete the package and make the software easier to work with. Chapter 22 is all about automating Dreamweaver to simplify repetitive and common tasks. It seems that anyone who works frequently with the software would minimize their efforts by using features detailed here. If you’re an advanced user and aren’t already using the History Panel, recorded commands, or text/tag search and replace, be sure to read through this section! The last chapter covers interaction between Dreamweaver and other Adobe programs like Bridge, Adobe Stock Photos, Version Cue, and Device Central. It doesn’t really go into using other CS3 apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and Fireworks, although there are new and improved ties between these programs in the latest Creative Suite. This is understandable since that could be an entire book in itself. Coverage of Adobe Bridge was especially appreciated, however, as I can see many uses for this media friendly file management system that ties directly into the various CS3 programs. Device Central will be invaluable if I ever start creating web material to be used on portable devices like PDAs or cell phones.

In addition to the main content of the book, there are other nice features that will be appreciated by those wanting to use it for reference. There’s a comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts for people who would rather type than click. Each chapter has color-coded tabs to make them easy to locate. Anyone who wants to become an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in Dreamweaver CS3 will find that necessary material is covered in the book, with ACE objective numbers cross referenced for convenience. An appendix at the back explains how to use the book to study for certification. A companion website provides free download of companion files for the book, including example files, a list of keyboard shortcuts, workshop files, page fixes and new content. At the time I wrote this review (February 2008), however, there was nothing available for download under the workshop, page fixes or new content sections. Although I’d never heard of this before, the book is “Safari Enabled,” which is a nifty feature that makes the entire book contents available online over the Internet.

I was very impressed by this book and the format used for teaching and reference. Personally, I hate having to read through pages and pages of text about theory and the reason for doing something before being shown how to actually perform a function or use a feature. The well organized Table of Contents, concise task instructions and detailed illustrations in this book make it easy to find what you need and get it done in minimal time. The friendly format also makes sure that beginners will be able to hit the ground running without being put to sleep by boring lectures. Highly recommended!

-- Heather Krause