Dreamweaver CS4 For Dummies [Paperback]

Janine Warner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470345020 | ISBN-13: 978-0470345023 | Publication Date: October 6, 2008

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a Web design newbie, Dreamweaver CS4 For Dummies shows you the quickest, easiest way to get up to speed on Dreamweaver. You’ll be able to create professional, great-looking, user-friendly websites in no time at all. Take advantage of the new, more customizable interface, improved integration with Flash and Photoshop, a handy new AJAX coding feature, and Live View, which lets you see your work as you create it.

Understand Dreamweaver basics, set up your site and create new pages, and work with text, graphics, and links. You can manage, test, and publish a site, define and apply styles with CSS, coordinate your design work, add audio, video, and Flash files to your site, build a dynamic Web site, and use Dreamweaver’s database features. Know how to:

• Design, build, and deploy professional-looking Web sites
• Use Dreamweaver’s new, more versatile preset layouts
• Fine-tune styles with enhanced CSS support
• Keep your pages cutting-edge with SmartObjects
• Take advantage of the new, more customizable interface
• Understand browser differences, make the most of CSS, build dynamic sites
• Create and optimize Web graphics
• Learn to maximize Cascading Style Sheets and Dreamweaver’s Layers features for creating fluid layouts

Complete with lists of ten resources, ten timesaving tips, and ten great Web sites designed in Dreamweaver, Dreamweaver CS4 For Dummies is your one-stop guide to setting up, working with, and making the most of Dreamweaver.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

It's easier than ever to turn your Web design dreams into reality — discover how!

Whether you're a seasoned pro or a Web design newbie, here's the quickest, easiest way to get up to speed on Dreamweaver CS4. Soon you'll be taking advantage of the new, more customizable interface, the improved integration with Flash and Photoshop, a handy new AJAX coding feature, Live View to let you see your work as it will actually appear, and a whole lot more.

• Discover Web design basics — understand browser differences, make the most of CSS, and use Dynamic Web templates

• Shades of gray — see how the new gray interface makes it easier to work with the colors in your designs

• Go graphic — create and optimize Web graphics using Dreamweaver's close integration with Photoshop®

• Cascading Style Sheets — learn to create beautiful layouts that are easily updated using Dreamweaver's enhanced CSS features and templates

• Give it Flash — insert Flash files or link to audio and video files

• Explore the Spry Framework — include interactive features like drop-down menus and collapsible panels without writing code

• Just add data — connect your site to a data source and create basic interactivity for sites such as online catalogs

Open the book and find:

• How to customize the workspace

• Tips for setting up links

• The best formats for Web images

• Which new tools help you work with code

• How to create rollover images

• Key concepts of a dynamic Web site

• Page layout tips

• How to manage, test, and publish your site

About the Author

Janine Warner is an author, speaker, and multimedia consultant. She is also a popular video host for Dreamweaver at TotalTraining.com and a regular columnist for Layers magazine. You'll find more tutorials at her Web site, DigitalFamily.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (October 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470345020
• ISBN-13: 978-0470345023
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Web Design > Dreamweaver

More About the Author

Hi, I'm Janine Warner, and as you might have guessed, my life revolves around the internet - teaching it, designing it, and always, always learning from it.

Because not everything you read on the Internet is reliable, you can expect that at least two of the following facts in my biography are completely made-up.

1. I'm a journalist turned geek. Sometimes I call myself a 'techy translator' or a 'digital alchemist' -- my favorite made-up titles so far. I imagine future generations will remember us the way we look back on Medieval wizards trying to turn lead into gold.

2. I was bitten by a radioactive computer bug, which gave me my amazing web powers... (Okay, that fact may not be from a reliable source.)

3. I started out as a reporter and editor and got hooked on the Internet early. Since 1996, I've written more than a dozen books, including Web Sites DIY For Dummies, Dreamweaver For Dummies (every edition), and Mobile Web Design For Dummies.

4. I've created and recorded more than 50 hours of training videos on Web design, Dreamweaver, CSS, and Expression Web for Kelby Training and Total Training. (You can learn more about my videos at DigitalFamily.com).

5. I'm fascinated by how mobile is changing the Internet and I'm now working on a book about designing for the iPad, iPhone and other touchscreen devices.

6. I spend most of my time running a consulting firm and writing books about Web design. I also travel all over the world for conferences and events and because I speak fluent Spanish, I've been fortunate to travel a lot in Latin America and Spain.

7. In 1998, I was hired by The Miami Herald, first as their online managing editor and a year later, as Director of New Media. I left that position to run CNET's Latin American operations in Miami. Since 2002, I've run my own consulting and writing business.

8. As a child, I trained my pet Siberian Snow Tiger to ski the steepest slope in the Alps, the dreaded Hannenkahm. Despite reaching speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour on the treacherous course, the Olympic Committee refused to admit him. (This point is so very, very true.)

9. I've taught courses in online journalism at the University of Southern California and the University of Miami and I've been a guest lecturer at more than 20 other universities.

10. I've served as a judge for several internet contests in the U.S. and Latin America, and in the course of that work, I helped create an Internet Literacy program for high school students in Latin America.

Learn more about Janine's books, videos, and Web design consulting at www.DigitalFamily.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreamweaver by Janine C. Warner, November 11, 2008

By 

Edward W. Walton "Media bug" (Olive Branch, Mississippi) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dreamweaver CS4 For Dummies (Paperback)

I had been advised not to purchase Dreamweaver since it would take at least a year to learn it. After reading some of the "helps" on the market, I was ready to give up - until I discovered Janine Warner. She presents it in such a logical and sequential way so that Dreamweaver can be learned in a much shorter time. In addition to having a tremendous insight into how to gain a presence on the Web, she makes it enjoyable to the extent that the phrase "user friendly" takes on a new and different meaning. Not only do her writings have a comfortable flow, she provides free step-by-step tutorials on her website that make learning Dreamweaver even faster. I've had three on-line courses through a local college but never learned as much as I did through her books, videos and website. She's a remarkable lecturer and writer, but more than that she's someone who knows what it takes to get other people up to speed. - Ed Walton

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Had My Web Site Up in 2 Days!, April 24, 2009

By 

Eric Olsen (Plainfield, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dreamweaver CS4 For Dummies (Paperback)

Even after my friends had raved about how easy DreamWeaver was, I was still intimidated. I checked out a couple of DreamWeaver tutorial books from the library and this was by far the easiest to understand.

It took me step-by-step through everything I needed to know to design my Web site in less than two days. I was amazed. If you're starting from scratch, this is the place to start.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best book on Dreamweaver CS4...helpful and easy to use, August 12, 2009

By 

Nausikaa Konstas "Nafsikaa" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dreamweaver CS4 For Dummies (Paperback)

I bought 3 or 4 books to learn Dreamweaver (which should have been named Nightmareweaver!) and this one was the only useful and helpful one. After using Frontpage for a long time, getting a handle on Dreamweaver was difficult and frustrating and the only real help I found was with Dreamweaver for Dummies and an online seminar from the SIte Wizard...With those two I've finally managed to create a beautiful and user-friendly site!
Avoid at all costs Dreamweaver CS4: The Missing Manual: you'll be throwing money down the drain! Where Dreamweaver for Dummies has clear explanations and walks you through, the Missing Manual is total gibberish...