Dreamweaver for Dummies (Paperback)

~ Janine Warner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Dreamweaver is a do-everything web design and management tool that runs on both Macs and Windows. The difficult part for some people to understand is that Dreamweaver does everything from simple HTML to style sheets, layers, and communicating with Java. Once users discover that Dreamweaver makes a lot of this confusing technology easier, they become converts. Both of these titles are good introductions to Dreamweaver, but the concise explanation and visual layout of Peachpit's is easier to understand. On the other hand, IDG's includes a 30-day free use copy of the program. If you can afford it, get both.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Weave the Web of your dreams with cool cutting-edge tools and sophisticated cross-browser support that are all a part of the newest Web design tool on the market today: Macromedia's Dreamweaver. From the ease of Dreamweaver's drag-and-drop, what-you-see interface to advanced advice on multimedia and online interactivity, you can find all the tips and tricks you'll ever need packed inside the pages of Dreamweaver For Dummies. If you're an experienced Web designer, Dreamweaver For Dummies author Janine Warner promises that you'll love the power and sophistication of Dreamweaver's HTML editor. And if you're new to Web design, you'll be impressed with its friendly interface and ease of use, whether you're creating basic Web pages or are using more complex Cascading Style Sheets and Dynamic HTML to make your Web site sing and dance (without crashing your visitors' browsers). Not sure about making the change to Dreamweaver? A 30-day trial version of the software is included on the bonus CD-ROM (so you can try it before you buy it), along with the latest versions of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, graphics programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, HTML converters and editors, and the Shockwave plug-in to let you view Director and Flash files online.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076450407X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764504075
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,912,681 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great beginning introduction, October 6, 1998

By A Customer

I did not need this book. Dreamweaver is a relatively easy program to get through the basics, which is the extent of the content in this book. After a couple of hours, I had finished all of the content and I was not even sweating. ;->

This book is a nice introduction for those who need one. If you are a full fledged programming type, you would be best to look elsewhere. This book does not cover enough of the advanced material to make it worthwhile.

However, it is nicely written for beginners to HTML, who are starting out with Dreamweaver as their first editor. It is also a great book for those who find Macromedia's methodology to be similar to learning a foreign language, as I do.

What the book covers: 1. The Dreamweaver application and its windows. 2. WYSIWYG editing and the HTML editors bundled with the program. 3. Basic DHTML and how to design for multiple browsers. 4. Coverage of the many nice features, including pre-loading of graphics, add "rollovers" and a basic idea of moving sites to Dreamweaver from other HTML editing programs. 5. HTML features like tables and frames. 6. Cascading Style Sheets. 7. An intorduction to the author's ideas on good web design and optimizing a site.

What is missing: 1. Advanced features like creating your own behaviors and objects. 2. A thorough explanation of how to use Dreamweaver alongside of other HTML programs. For example, it would be nice to note that Dreamweaver can work very nicely with FrontPage. Use FrontPage for management and Dreamweaver to add sparkle.

Overall, this book is nice if you are beginning to work with HTML or do not have the time to experiment with Dreamweaver. It is also nice for those who need a little boost on the easy way to create DHTML effects and create these pages in a manner that works with all 4.0 browsers, while offering support for non-DHTML browsers as well. If you are looking for something more advanced, I would look elsewhere.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poorly edited copy spoiled an otherwise decent introduction, February 15, 1999

By A Customer

The content is a fine introduction to the basics, as a previous reviewer remarked. Within 3 hours though, I had dumped the book and was well beyond its scope just by exploring the trial copy of the software (included).

However, I do have one huge complaint. The author and publisher have no business charging the cover price for a book they haven't bothered to spell-check or proof read. I found countless spelling and grammar errors (sometimes several on the same page) in my copy. In a technical book, where I tend to read every word, I find this very distracting.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I sure was glad to find this book., February 24, 1999

By A Customer

Being new to Web design, I sometimes feel like a true "dummy" when I'm trying to get the HTML to do what I want it to. This book was written to my level and made lots of things easy to understand. For example, the author explained exactly when to use JPG vs GIF and how to use tables to arrange graphics. She also helped me understand transparency -- when to use it and how. I certainly recommend Warner's Dreamweaver for Dummies to any other Web site neophytes.