Customer Reviews

Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Web Application Recipes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have had a lot of trouble getting the recipes to work in the PHP server model. After contacting the authors thru their web site, I got some corrections, but I feel like they should really have tested MUCH more thoroughly before they published the book. Its very frustrating when things don't work like they are supposed to when you are trying to learn. The authors have admitted to major errata that is not listed on their site.....they seem like nice folks, but I would not buy this book if you are planning to use PHP.

I purchased this book for its Survey Recipe. I use ColdFusion for web development and found a host of errors in the code completely unrecognized by the authors. I never did get the entire recipe to work after a month of troubleshooting the errors. It took more time that was prudent to devote to debugging their code and I dropped it.

Finally, a book with tutorials that lays it all out and what you should expect to get done in a step-by-step process. From the beginning of each tutorial (recipe) it lays out how many pages you will create and how many database/tables you'll need so you can easily understand what your getting into. Each recipe describes the scenario it conquers in detail. Interesting enough this book can handle supplying instructions for four different languages (Coldfusion, asp vb script, asp JavaScript & php) without getting confusing to the reader. I use Coldfusion and had no problem following those set of directions. The instructions are clearly delineated.

This book was able to help me complete four processes my I knew could be done, but did not know how to even begin to accomplish them. User Login, which is critical to my business. Employee Lookup, which became a nice little tool we added recently. Survey builder, which I can envision having a nice impact for my customers and finally, Mail Merge, which has made my management happy.

If you have wanted to take that plunge into interactive sites, this book is the answer. I can't wait to see what they come up for the next recipe book.

At first pass, the book is backed up with a lot of resources from WebAssist, you can download all of the 'other' stuff from the WebAssist website, including the extensions needed.
There is one HUGE problem with this book, that is ignored, or was just left to chance, this is the database set-up and where the files for the chapters are, or where they went problem. There are about two sentences' worth of information/instruction, upon which everything else you need to do is based. I am still trying to get the stuff to work with the MySQL/PHP model. Like others have said, there are a lot of potholes and glitches, which in a normal book wouldn't matter, but for this stuff, matters a lot. If you are a novice, be prepared for mass headaches and letdowns abbondonza. If I could drive my car into the lobby of the publisher, I would have done it several times already. If you're an expert, then be prepared to co-author the next book, since you will need to write so many emails to the author(s), you should darn well get co-author credit.

I normally don't write reviews (just read a bunch) but I had to take the time to say that I love this book! I am a beginner developer using ASP and have learned a lot in a short period of time with this book. It goes beyond your normal "step-by-step" tutorial book and explains at each step in the process what you are doing any why you are doing it. If you are like me, and have found yourself at the end of one of those "Build Our Ficticous Site" tutorial books, saying to yourself "Ok, what did I just learn?" than this book is for you.

I had no trouble at all downloading the support files, so I imagine they have fixed any problems other reviewers mentioned.

I bought this book for getting a quick start on the subject. However, what I found out after I downloaded the dreamweaver extension for the recipes, I cannot find the files that I need for the recipe. Also, the instruction is a mess and it took me more time just to figure out what things mean in this book than actually get something done.

I am really disppointed about this book and I just throw it in the trash can.

Just beginning to use ASP/PHP/Coldfusion? Then get this book. It works like a turtorial with each lession getting ever more technical. However, unlike a classroom course the end results are useful, practical systems. You will not learn everything there is to learn about the various server models, but that's not the point. In fact, you would be best advised to have a reference book next to you when using it, but it will get you on the road to writing good applications quickly.

It's also not a 'drop in' book, or 'learn this in 24 hours', it's much better than that. Set aside a few hours, get yourself a coffee and learn. It'll take time, but it's worth the effort.

This book helped me out allot. I primarily bought the book to learn how to create User Login and User Registration pages and they made it easy for me.
I didnt have to much trouble getting the files downloaded and installed so Im guessing theyve fixed those issues that some people were complaning about.

The book covers a broad spectrum of data-driven Web applications and is a good base for the aspiring Web Designers, who have been creating Static websites with Dreamweaver for the past few years and now want to take a straight dive into developing Dynamic Websites. This book is like having a coach on your side motivating you through step-by-step instructions.

An excellent book using recipe metaphor! Easy to read and understand, got eight rich, scalable example Applications with professional quality codes, with an online companion website, www.webassist.com/recipes. The book is divided into three parts:
First is Starters, having the basics of Databases and Dreamweaver Workspace, so that a newbie can very easily understand everything by just reading through the pages and get the complete understanding before actually involving themselves in developing.
Second and third parts have Main Course-Intranet Web Applications and Main Course-Workgroup Web Applications. Both have four main modules as four recipes. All the recipes have Ingredients, which tells what all you need to have for developing that module. Then you have Prep work list which will enable you to know what all you need to complete before you actually begin to build the Application. After this the actual development starts and the support is given in four variations : ASP-VB Script, ASP-Javascript, Coldfusion and PHP. Useful `Warnings' and special `Notes' are found in all the sections of the book in separate boxes.

All the Applications are well researched, planned and written in an easy to follow format. Every step in the development process is explained well so that `you understand not just what you do, but why you are doing it'. This aim of the book is followed right from the start to the end of the book.

May 31-2004

This book promised all I need. Then again writers and publishers of computer books always promise so much. I bought this book two weeks ago and have been trying without success to get off the ground. To obtain the files (the server extension) involves logging in with webassist.com. The getfiles is not that easy and loading the extension has not gone as easily as one would expect. After downloading the extension I had to email to obtain a serial number before the extension can be loaded into dreamweaver. It just wasn't clear as to the exact procedure. After I had obtained the serial number for the extension the extension could now be viewed from the dreamweaver help menu as webassist recipe. However the next stumbling block was that I could not find the recipes.mdb file. This is the main database and without it no progress is made. I have searched my whole 60 Gigabytes of disk, read the book for further insight, visited the webassist.com/recipes web and now emailed the president of web assist. He had previously responded to an earlier email and I am waiting for this holiday weekend to finish so I can get his reply. My first observation is that the book has been written with serious intent but the promised support is just that, a promise. I would have expected these problems to be at least addressed on the web support site. If I do not have a breakthrough soon then I am ready to bin the book.
My recommendation don't get the book until you know the extension will work as promised. There is however one snag with this strategy in that to obtain the serial number to release the extension you are asked a randomised question on what is listed on a certain line on a given page of the book. It is a little of a catch22 situation. Watch this space as I intend to persevere with this book until I see a breakthrough or truly resign myself that no breakthrough is ahead. I am in communication with webassist as I write and I would just love to follow up with another review to say "I have cracked it"