Customer Reviews

Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 Bible

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There are many reviewers here who are giving this book a poor review unjustly. People are complaining that this book skips basics and "doesn't explain how to create a rollover graphic".

If you are looking for a web graphics instruction then this isnt the book you should have purchased in the first place. It is NOT the authors fault you bought the wrong tool for the job.

However, if you are looking for a book on how to use Dreamweaver UltraDev and use Databases to build dynamic web pages then I highly recommend this book. It starts with very basic database connectivity and goes through advance database driven sites.

Keep in mind... This book deals with Database Web design FIRST. If you do not know web design or how to create or import a graphic, build tables, work with layers, etc., you should probably back up and start with the basics first.

If you are comforatable with your web design and would like to add database content (which is very versatile by the way) this is one of the best books on UltraDev

Well there's Dreamweaver and then there's Dreamweaver UltraDev. Yes UltraDev does all the things Dreamweaver does but it was developed with database development as the focus. So why it is that this author hardly touches on the subject of databases? Hello...get this man some extra chapters.

Quite frankly, you'd be lost if you used this book as your database to web learning source. This is a Dreamweaver book not an UltraDev book.

If your looking to develop web databases using UltraDev there are far better books on the market.

Bag buying this...

I gave up on this book at chapter 2. Why? Well, the author said "Create a rollover in Fireworks or your favorite graphics program." Who said I know how to create rollovers? If I knew that what good is this program to me? I happen to have Fireworks but haven't learned it yet. So I went to the Fireworks manual to look up when it teaches rollovers: chapter 16! I then tried to import a rollover that Fireworks includes but it wouldn't go into Dreamweaver. The author seems so bent on showing off his prowess that he forgets that we beginners don't know anything. And I check the targeted audience: Beginner to Advanced! My suggestion: (1) Though Macromedia sells Dreamweaver and Dreamweaver UltraDev, these are, from a learning perspective two different programs and you have to learn Dreamweaver before approaching UltraDev; (2) Buy Dreamweaver 4 Hands-On-Training by Lynda Weinman and Garo Green. That book is great!

This bible series assumes a lot of things that you have a little expeience with how this program works, but would like to know more or just about everything for that matter. If you are a beginner and don't even know how to create rollover images in your favorite graphics program you shouldn't be using Ultradev. Try just using standard Dreamweaver. Ultradev deals with things like ASP, and CSS that the average newbie homepage builder will never use, stuff like Ecommerce. You didn't buy this I assume you probably downloaded this program Warez style. If you don't know essentially what a program does it's useless isn't it? Try Ultradev for dummies if you really want to learn(I think there is on for Ultradev). The dummies series is great the teach a basis or framework for understanding that is easily learned and basic, then try to grasp the thing as a whole after you have tryed some beginner readings and experince with the program. The bible series is not for beginners, they are great big refrence books. Most Macromedia programs come with tutorials anyway, if you want how to learn the programs. That's your best bet, hands on learning, and it's free.