Dreamweaver 3 for Windows & Macintosh, Third Edition (Visual QuickStart Guide) (Paperback)

by J. Tarin Towers (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Whether you're a beginner who needs a quick introduction to Dreamweaver or an intermediate user who needs help with one of the program's newer or more complex features, this handy guide is perfect. Instead of a tutorial where you work through a specific project, the lesson in this book walks you through your documents while you work on them.

If you've used QuickStart guides before, you know how convenient they are as references. Succinct text eliminates having to wade through discourses on theory or history, and a thorough index directs you to answers quickly. Plus, with their small footprint, these guides earn their place on a crowded desk. The QuickStart series is consistent in style (with numbered steps in one column, screen shots in the other) and quality.

Even within this established format, author J. Tarin Towers's light and friendly style shows through--making for interesting reading. The author has also included numerous sidebars on how things work (for example, using measuring units such as pixels, picas, or ems) and timesaving features (for example, the Hints menu in the Quick Tags editor). Alternate methods for executing tasks and other handy information can be found in the many tips that follow each section.

Macintosh users in particular should read the introduction, which explains the few, but crucial, differences in the Windows version of Dreamweaver. This affects the way screen shots look throughout the book.

This edition has four new chapters that cover changes in Dreamweaver 3. Since one of the best features of Dreamweaver is the ease with which you can view and edit source code, the book devotes a chapter to HTML and the application's tools for working with it (for example, the new Clean Up Word HTML command). With more than 500 pages, this is one of the longer QuickStart guides and well worth a spot on a Webmaster's desk. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered: Step-by-step instructions for using Dreamweaver 3 (including an introduction to the working environment, palettes, and menus); creating a Web site and site management; working with text, images, links, tables, frames, CSS, DHTML, behaviors, timeline animation, and plug-ins; customizing and automating tasks; working with HTML; and the new features of version 3.

Product Description
Provides an easy, visual approach to teaching Dreamweaver, using pictures to guide students through the software and show what to do in a step-by-step manner. Softcover.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (April 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201702401
• ISBN-13: 978-0201702408
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,567,535 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good but flawed; spend a little extra and get a better text., July 31, 2000

By	S. Moon (Lower Maryland) - See all my reviews

This is basically a good text, but it covers little that is not contained in Dreamweaver 3's tutorial. However, the book has two significant flaws beyond that which turn my recommendation to a 'don't buy.'

First, the text makes frequent reference to an 'online companion' web site. This site is said to contain a great deal of the real 'meat' of using Dreamweaver. As of this review (some four months after publication), the site is still 'under construction.' As such, there is significant information simply not available.

Second, the final chapter on how to use the FTP Client built into Dreamweaver is horrible! Little information is given about this critical step.

I suggest, in light of the fact that most of the information in this book is readily available in Dreamweavers help files and tutorial, that you give it a 'pass' and spend a little extra for a better text. A good starting place would be the 'bible' series.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Additional Information to the Dreamweaver Manual Set, June 23, 2000

By	Steven A. Bell "Even Keel" (Kemp, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sorry, my review title says it all. Essentially if you are looking for a book to walk you through learning Dreamweaver (and have it done step-by-step) this book is not for you. This book would not work for you very well if you are learning from the Dreamweaver download. Instead I suggest using the online tutorial and help (which, BTW, are excellent).

Now, with the negativity aside, let me tell you what is great: it covers Style Sheets, Timelines, Frames (boy talk about being nasty sometimes in DW), and Automation. All of these are intermediate topics and not for the shy of heart. I liked being able to turn to an additional reference for tips and techniques (of which these are scanty in the DW docs).

Anyway, well worth the purchase price, but not a beginner's book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for a quick learning of Dreamweaver, May 25, 2000

By	"sudhakarreddy" (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews

The book is very easy to understand and is good enough for a web developer who already knows HTML and just want to know how to use Dreamweaver to create effective websites. The book should have included some start to ending web site development examples.