Dreamweaver® 3 Bible (Paperback)

by Joseph Lowery (Author) "Dreamweaver, by Macromedia, is a professional Web site development program..." (more)
Key Phrases: jump menu object, local site root folder, browser compatibility chart, Internet Explorer, Quick Tag Editor, Cascading Style Sheets (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
According to Macromedia, there are few more qualified or capable to teach the ins and outs of Dreamweaver than author James Lowery. This high praise is well earned with the Dreamweaver 3 Bible, a comprehensive manual that covers everything from basic site creation to working with Fireworks, as well as using CSS, DHTML, XML, and multimedia.

Beginners and intermediate users will appreciate the solid foundation provided in the opening 12 chapters. Readers are given a quick tour of the work environment, shown how a sample site is built up from scratch, and introduced to all the features of Dreamweaver. Here and throughout Dreamweaver 3 Bible, the text is augmented by frequent screenshots (from the Windows platform, although the text includes Macintosh instructions and commands) and applicable generated HTML code. More importantly, the book provides ample reasons for why things work the way they do and examples of how a feature might be put to use.

Other sections of the book cover frames, tables, forms, objects, behaviors, integrating Shockwave and Flash, working with layers, creating templates, using the Library, and many more topics. The appendices cover the companion text editors (Homesite 4.5 for Windows users, BBedit 5 for Mac users) and CourseBuilder for creating instructional Web pages. The companion CD-ROM includes 30-day trials of Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, and CourseBuilder, plus lots of extensions and sample files mentioned in the text.

Changes since the last edition include all the new features of Dreamweaver 3: the History palette, Design Notes, and the enhanced interrelationship with Fireworks, for example. Many processes are now automated in the latest version, like creating a command out of a group of steps from the History palette. Within Dreamweaver 3 Bible, new features like these are set in a different font and marked by an icon in the margin, making it easy for those already familiar with Dreamweaver to quickly access what's new.

One great benefit of a well-written book such as this is the confidence one gains with the application--confidence to look beyond the text and explore on one's own. This is especially fulfilling given Dreamweaver's expandability. By helping readers customize Dreamweaver, the text saves hours and hours of work time. --Angelynn Grant

Topics covered:

• Thorough instruction on all features of Dreamweaver 3
• Introduction to the work environment
• How to customize features and preferences
• Creating Web pages and managing sites
• Using the History palette
• Creating commands
• Using the new HTML styles
• Effectively using Templates and Libraries
• Working with Fireworks integration
• Working with DHTML, JavaScript, XML and CSS
• Incorporating plug-ins, ActiveX objects, and Java applets

Product Description
This comprehensive tutorial and reference presents everything the professional Web developer needs to master Macromedia's Dreamweaver 3. The book covers basic and advanced Dreamweaver techniques plus all the latest Web technologies, including XML, SMIL, and Macromedia Fireworks. The CD-ROM includes a trial version of this latest upgrade of Dreamweaver, plus over 300 extensions and more!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1081 pages
• Publisher: I D G Books Worldwide; Pap/Cdr edition (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764534580
• ISBN-13: 978-0764534584
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,007,906 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book for advanced Dreamweaver users, April 20, 2000

By	Stephen Britton "www.sbritton.com" (Larchmont, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have to give some kudos to the author before I present my review. I have a great deal of admiration for Joseph Lowery. At a time when computer book authors seem to be more consumed with churning out books that rarely go beyond the manuals that come with the programs, Joe is truly dedicated to what he writes about. Since publishing the first Dreamweaver Bible in 1998, he has been a constant contibutor to the Dreamweaver community. And through his Dreamweaver Bibles I have learned a great deal about this wonderful program. Thank you Joe!

Now for the review:

After spending the last two years making my copy of Dreamweaver 2 Bible dog-eared, I was expecting that Joe would merely update the book to include the new features of Dreamweaver 3, but he has gone much further and - except for a few minor details - written a new Bible. Like the previous versions, this book does an excellent job explaining Dreamweaver basics and shows how to extend Dreamweaver through behaviors, commands, and objects. But where this book excels is teaching experienced users advanced topics like how to create custom behaviors, behaviors, commands and how to get the most out of Dreamweaver's JavaScript API extensions and C-level libraries. If you are new to Dreamweaver, you might want to start with another book, like Dreamweaver for Dummies, which does a good job covering the basics. If you are casual Dreamweaver user and want to take your skills up a few notches, this is the only book to buy, and if you are a professional web designer, this book is a must have.

73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a MUST Purchase, May 28, 2000

By	Jeff Graves (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews

I am a novice web-designer, who began using Dreamweaver about 1 month ago. I bought the Bible, thinking that I would learn the "ins" and "outs" of Dreamweaver. Boy, was I wrong. I was treated to the most thorough and well-documented resource on web-design and internet technology that I have read ... in addition to learning EVERYTHING about Dreamweaver.

I really hate drudging through computer resource books. Going through this text was a true pleasure. I am a novice ... don't be intimidated by the price or the title of this book ... It is easy to read and highly invaluable.

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book covering Dreamweaver 3 inside, outside and beyond, June 22, 2000

By	Phil Humphrey (Coventry, UK) - See all my reviews

I am a novice Dreamweaver user, and a novice to web design in general. This book was (and still is) a great help to me, covering not only all major and minor issues in Dreamweaver, but also going beyond this, talking HTML, web integration with data sources and with other Macromedia products like Flash and Fireworks. I am the kind of user who would rather make an attempt, then when a problem occurs look for a solution. With the Dreamweaver Bible the solutions were easy to find, and I'm learning more every time I look at it. This book seems to me to be suited to both novices and more advanced users alike, a delicate balance. In the first instance, if like me you require answers to your questions, you can find them here. Then expanding on this, as your knowledge grows, you will find all the information you need to better yourself and your site. This is the first and only book I will buy on Dreamweaver 3. I believe it covers all the areas I wish to develop, so why should I look any further. I highly recommend this book to Dreamweaver users of any level; it's good as a tutorial, guide or a reference.