Learning Dreamweaver - fast track route

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Ciapolin
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Learning Dreamweaver - fast track route

Post by Ciapolin »

I now have a nice new pc and dreamweaver, so I'm hoping to learn how to maintain and update my website.

I've bought a copy of 'Dreamweaver for Dummies' to teach myself, but is there a quickway of getting started? I know the answer is probably "how long is a piece of string?", but thought I would ask anyway :roll:

My most pressing desire is to be able to update the text that is already there.
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Post by la vache! »

Hi Carole-Anne,
Try this for starters from my webhost- it gives you the basics on setting up a page etc. You need to do this in order to be able to FTP using the put function on dreamweaver (although you can use a free ftp package like Filezilla). I thought this was easier to understand than the Dreamweaver tutorials for getting started.

http://ukwebsolutionsdirect.co.uk/tutorials/index.php
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Ciapolin
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Post by Ciapolin »

Thanks Susan, I'll give it a go.

I know I'm being a bit lazy, but I'm anxious to start running before I can walk!
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Post by la vache! »

If you just want to edit text, it's easy, just load the page into Dreamweaver and edit away on normal page view or html depending on your knowledge! Then save changes and FTP.
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Post by vrooje »

It really does depend on how much HTML you know, I'd say.

Everything I do in Dreamweaver is using the code view, so I can't advise on anything else. But if you keep things in code view, Dreamweaver is not that much more complicated than a text editor and FTP program all in one. And if all you want to do is edit text, that might be the way to go, since even simple edits in the WYSIWYG mode (is that "page view"?) can really complicate the underlying code.
Brooke
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Ciapolin
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Post by Ciapolin »

As the saying goes, "I know nothing"! However I'd lke to think I'm not an idiot and can master the web design thing - I just need a bit of time.

Thanks both of you for your help.
Carole-Anne
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Post by Mountain Goat »

Everything I do in Dreamweaver is using the code view

Brooke

This is beyond cool. Ice age in fact. I'm lost in admiration. But, being new to DW, and putting together our own site, I had one question:

Why use Dreamweaver at all? Surely WordPad or equivalent and some FTP would be fine?

Goat
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Post by AndyLucia »

Mountain Goat wrote: Why use Dreamweaver at all? Surely WordPad or equivalent and some FTP would be fine?

Goat
If you were 100% secure in your coding knowledge and didn't mind the hassle of opening your browser(s) each time you wanted to view what you had done I guess it could be fine. :shock:

I find the advantage of using Dreamweaver is the ability to switch between views. Like Brooke I now do most of my work in 'Code' view to minimise the impact of changes; working in 'Design' view can have some very strange consequences. Also, some of the validation tools and reports are very useful; for example, I recently added missed 'alt' tags to all the images on our three sites. I can also preview pages in a number of different browsers, so I will know if something that looks right in IE will also work in Firefox; mind you, if it doesn't I still get a little stumped! :cry:

Mind you, considering I was at exactly the same stage you are now at Carole-Anne, it shows how user friendly DW is with a little bit of practice.
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Post by vrooje »

Why use Dreamweaver at all? Surely WordPad or equivalent and some FTP would be fine?
Actually, I used EditPad and various FTP programs, but when someone handed me a copy of Dreamweaver and I realized that I no longer had to keep switching windows in order to transfer files, I was hooked.

Seriously -- DW to me is like a nice text editor with auto-FTP. That's why I don't give much advice on it other than "don't trust the design view." It's really kind of silly how few of its purported capabilities I actually use. It's probably more like Stone Age than Ice Age! :)
Brooke
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Post by Mountain Goat »

OK, I sort of understand.

Just to be difficult, I use it in the twin window Code/Design Split view which gives me the best of both.

I've been investigating Dreamweaver templates - there are literally thousands out there, and 99% are really terrible.

I've come across three outfits which give some excellent templates, DW extensions and support:

1) the Macromedia Forum (plus downloads):

http://tinyurl.com/nknyo

2) Nadia in Woollongong*:

http://www.dreamweaverresources.com/

3) Project Seven who have got some superb templates and extensions (many as free downloads) and which plug in smoothly to produce some seriously professional results:

http://www.projectseven.com/

For instance they have got a CSS controlled menu system (horizontal or vertical) with unlimited sub-menus to any depth:

http://tinyurl.com/rtzvz

All of which I am investigating to try and produce our first rental site.

Goat

*where else, Gascony?
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Post by Giddy Goat »

Mountain Goat wrote: 2) Nadia in Woollongong*:
*where else, Gascony?
This is the only bit of the topic I've understood, since MG knows I hailed from Sydney, just to the north. BTW MG, you've been over-generous with your 'o's; this can have expensive consequences in the wrong context. :D

Back to the caf. See youse later!
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Post by AndyLucia »

Mountain Goat wrote:OK, I sort of understand.

Just to be difficult, I use it in the twin window Code/Design Split view which gives me the best of both.
I did that a lot to start with, as that helped to me to understand 'cause and effect', so to speak.

Picking up on your resources suggestions, another one I have found invaluable is Dynamic Drive, lots of scripts, CSS downloads etc.

http://www.dynamicdrive.com/
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Post by la vache! »

I use the split version too, it teaches you about html which is very useful. The only thing I can't get to grips with is the width of the page as I have a widescreen laptop and I messed up my site last year (the English version) and I still haven't managed to get the site back to 100% view on my screen (although it is OK on the majority of screens now, i.e. it fills the page on smaller screens, but not mine).
MG, thanks for the template advice, I spent a while searching for stuff, but found it pretty awful too, so your recommendations are useful!
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Susan,

In my opinion wide screen is all very well for playing media and watching DVD's but, for two reasons, quite awful for Web Sites.

Firstly, not many people have wide screens.

Secondly, Web Sites are still very much geared to the A4 page. Most people don't mind vertical scrolling but hate and abhor horizontal scrolling. Many people like to print pages from Web Sites but have to use landscape to do so if the page is wide screen – what an unnecessary pain.

If you feel you really must cater for the tiny minority of wide screen users then go ahead and write your Web Site in wide screen mode but include a PDF printable copy of each page. Personally I wouldn’t bother. It’s more trouble than it’s worth.

If you feel you should cater for the overwhelming majority then write your Web Site for those who have normal screens.

Alan
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Post by la vache! »

It isn't really a question of building a site to fit one screen - if you work on the 100% parameter I think it should automatically fit all screens without horizontal scroll being required. My French site is fine, but I tinkered about with the English version and although it is now fine for a normal screen (which I agree is the most common and therefore the most importane), it looks squashed on my widescreen. The French version doesn't.
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