Customer Reviews

Macromedia Dreamweaver UltraDev 4: Training from the Source

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

 

 

While I really learned a lot from this book, it was extremely frustrating at times. There is no support to be found on the Macromedia site and there are errors in the book that need to be addressed. For those of you that have already bought the book and are looking for answers, here are some solutions that I have found:
Chapter 7 - Step 4 of page 158 shows incorrect information in the diagram for the Link field. In addition to the instructions for this step, you must also select the browse button and select product_update.asp
- Before Step 1 of page 163 you need to copy the rsSuppliers recordset from the product_add.asp page and paste it in the DataBindings window of the product_update.asp page. The reason for this is that the description at the bottom of Step 3 on page 164 is wrong, but the instructions are correct.
- Between steps 4 and 5 on page 166 you must add a step. You need to identify all fields on the product_update.asp page that have not been setup. To do this select a field, then open the DataBindings window and open the recordset rsUpdate. Select the matching field and select Bind at the bottom right. Then save, put, and view.
In Chapter 8
- page 173, step 4, set the Get Values From to CategoryName, not CategoryID.
- page 184, step 4 yields "No Data". However, when you run it live it does yield data. Therefore test it live and we will need to address this issue with Macromedia.
Chapter 9
page 200, step 3, part b (results) are not viewed in Live Date as book indicates, but it is through a browser.
Chapter 11
pg 239, step 8, does not need to be done. Therefore if you get an error in displaying andes_login.asp in step 11, then erase the code in step 8.
There is also an error with the andes_newuser.asp page but I have yet to figure it out.

Both myself and a colleague have spent the best part of a month working through this book. We both have web design experience and are computer literate. So far we have only managed to get to Lesson 4 before hitting a brick wall due to serious ERRORS and misprinted screen shots that render the rest of the book useless.

There is no online support for this book, either with Peach Pit or Macromedia and surely if this book had been proofed it would never have been released in this state.

Avoid this book if you need results as we have spent many fruitless hours going over and over to no avail. It took this us to read previous reviews before we were convinced that it wasn't us being dumb.

Maybe Nolan Hester should take more care as he has wasted our time. (...)

(...)I am now at the point in the tutorial where the early review warned of errors. I have about 3 years of Dreamweaver experience, but this is my first plunge into server assisted web sites. So far I have been stumped at 3 other points in the tutorial. I am attempting to go through with the COLD FUSION TUTORIAL start to finish.

1. Lesson 3 Page 41 - When testing the success of the SQL expression, the table is disjointed and over run with information. When I switch the order of the FROM * statement from Products,Suppliers
-to-
Suppliers,Products it straightens out.

2.If you look at the Supplier Table last column labeled
"Web Site" This columnn in the Database (MS Access) must be edited to remove the space "WebSite". If not you will have all kinds of problems later.

3. The links on all of the Cold Fusion Tutorial pages are relatively linked to .asp extensions.
Use the Replace function -Select the entire Cold Fusion Current folder -Select the source code option -Change .asp to .cfm

Learning alot, but wish there was an addendum or way to get support on book

With all of that said still the best book I have seen to move you thru step by step. Trust me I stood in a book store looking at all of them.

Good Luck

I never expected a tech book from the real source would mislead its readers with so many mistakes. It was very frustrating specially for a beginner who tends to believe that 99% of computer problems are created by the users. It took me a few days' struggle to finaaly realize the mistakes were made by the writer. Now the book has become useless for me - a newby who doesn't know how to get round the errors. It is sad that Macromedia doesn't recall the book, or at least put amendment on their site.

This book is a great source of additional support for the Ultradev 4. I really enjoyed the examples (kind of real life ones) that helped me build my database sites faster. Recommended book for anyone on Ultradev and Databases. Also is very simmilar to the language used on the manuals so you won't be dealing with dumb made or help file developed books.

Stay away from this book... I'll repeat it again STAY AWAY FROM THIS BOOK. This has to be the worst training book on the market. It should have never even come close to being printed. Yeah yeah your a dreamweaver expert and your thinking well maybe the people that wrote these reviews are not up to speed you know. Trust me I said the same thing and ignored the previous reviews, BAD IDEA, the book is filled with errors and not to mention wrong screen shots. Click on the authors name at the top of this amazon page and you'll see Nolan Hester he is an author on Frontpage books which he needs to stick to and leave Ultradev behind.

The best book I found is the Ultradev 4 complete reference....

First of all, this book leads you to believe that UltraDev4 works with WindowsME . It appears there is some work around so it can work in this environment, but unless you want to go in and screw around with your OS it doesn't.

Second, even with XP PRO and IIS it seems that there are a good number of errors in the book or maybe there is some compatibility issue with XP PRO or the version of IIS that comes with XP.

If you are new to UltraDev and looking for a book that guides you through the steps of building a dynamic site this would be a great book if the instructions worked more often. As published, you'll learn some of the ins and out or UltraDev (which seems to be an awesome tool!) but most likely end up frustrated when things simply don't work.

The book gets a second star because there are some parts you can work through without having to chase your tail trying to figure out what mistake you may have made, when in fact, the error is in the book.

Like all the The Training from Sources series, it is easy to read and follow the instructions. But this particular book got many errors that got me frustrated since I am a beginner in ASP. It even skip some steps and didn't even mentioned it. You'll find out you have to do other steps when you got the error page display. The publisher doesn't have correction page either posted on its website. Good for getting to know Dreamweaver Ultradevelopment though.

I really like the layout and "feel" of this book. It resembles a classroom type tutorial where you follow and build an example from start to finish. While I am a fan of the book, there are way too many errors in it for me to recommend it. Perhaps I am a better Ultradev/ColdFusion developer for struggling through it, however I would hold off until a revised edition or errata is available. There is a MASSIVE mistake for ColdFusion developers regarding the product_detail page that I have yet to figure out. It's impossible to add navigation buttons to that don't your app to come to a screeching halt. I hope the ASP/JSP coders fared better than I! This book is suitable for ASP, JSP, and ColdFusion developers alike.

It is easy to follow the step by step instructions, but lack of the instructions for setting up the IIS Server. It covers rich exercise for practice purposes which is very useful.