Build and Manage Your Web Site with Dreamweaver CS3 for Dummies
Dreamweaver CS3 for Dummies: A Beginner's Guide to Web Design
If you want to create your own website but don't know where to start, you might want to consider using Dreamweaver CS3. Dreamweaver CS3 is a powerful and popular web design software that lets you create, code, and manage websites with ease. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, you can use Dreamweaver CS3 to design professional-looking websites that look amazing on any size screen.
Dreamweaver CS3 For Dummies
In this article, you will learn what Dreamweaver CS3 is, why you should use it, and how you can get started with it. You will also learn how to create a new website with Dreamweaver CS3, how to work with CSS styles and layouts, how to add interactivity and dynamic content, and how to publish and manage your website. By the end of this article, you will have a solid foundation for web design with Dreamweaver CS3.
Creating a New Website with Dreamweaver CS3
Before you can start designing your website, you need to set up some basic settings in Dreamweaver CS3. These settings will help you organize your files, preview your web pages, and upload your website to the internet.
How to set up a site definition and a local root folder?
A site definition is a set of information that tells Dreamweaver how to work with your website. A local root folder is a folder on your computer where you store all your website files. To set up a site definition and a local root folder in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open Dreamweaver CS3 and click on Site > New Site.
In the Site Definition dialog box, enter a name for your site in the Site Name field.
Click on the Browse button next to the Local Root Folder field and select a folder on your computer where you want to store your website files. This folder should be empty or contain only the files that you want to use for your website.
Click on OK to save your site definition and close the dialog box.
You have now created a site definition and a local root folder for your website. You can see your site name and your local root folder in the Files panel on the right side of the Dreamweaver window. You can also access and edit your site definition by clicking on Site > Manage Sites.
How to create and save web pages?
Now that you have set up your site definition and your local root folder, you can start creating web pages for your website. To create and save web pages in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Click on File > New to open the New Document dialog box.
Select HTML from the Category list and Blank Page from the Page Type list. You can also choose a different category and page type depending on your needs.
Click on Create to create a new web page.
Enter some content for your web page in the Document window. You can use the Insert panel on the left side of the Dreamweaver window to add text, images, links, and other elements to your web page.
Click on File > Save As to save your web page. Enter a name for your web page in the File Name field and make sure it ends with .html. For example, index.html. This name will be used as the URL of your web page on the internet.
Select your local root folder as the location where you want to save your web page and click on Save.
You have now created and saved a web page for your website. You can see your web page in the Files panel on the right side of the Dreamweaver window. You can also open and edit your web page by double-clicking on it in the Files panel or by clicking on File > Open.
How to add text, images, links, and other elements to web pages?
To make your web pages more attractive and informative, you can add text, images, links, and other elements to them. To add text, images, links, and other elements to web pages in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open the web page that you want to edit in the Document window.
To add text, simply type or paste it in the Document window where you want it to appear. You can use the Properties inspector at the bottom of the Dreamweaver window to format your text with different fonts, colors, sizes, alignments, and styles.
To add an image, click on Insert > Image or click on the Image icon in the Insert panel. In the Select Image Source dialog box, browse to the location where you have stored your image file and select it. Click on OK to insert the image into your web page. You can use the Properties inspector to resize, crop, align, and add alternative text to your image.
To add a link, select some text or an image that you want to use as a link in the Document window. In the Properties inspector, enter the URL of the web page that you want to link to in the Link field. For example, https://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/. You can also use the Browse button next to the Link field to select a web page from your local root folder or from another website. You can use the Target menu in the Properties inspector to specify how you want the linked web page to open (in a new window, in a new tab, etc.).
To add other elements, such as tables, lists, forms, flash animations, etc., click on Insert > [Element Name] or click on the corresponding icon in the Insert panel. Follow the instructions in the dialog boxes or panels that appear to customize and insert these elements into your web page.
You have now added text, images, links, and other elements to your web page. You can use the Design view or the Code view in the Document window to see how these elements look or work on your web page. You can also use the Split view to see both views at once.
How to preview and test web pages in different browsers?
Working with CSS Styles and Layouts in Dreamweaver CS3
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and it is a language that allows you to control the appearance and layout of your web pages. With CSS, you can apply different styles to different elements on your web pages, such as fonts, colors, backgrounds, borders, margins, padding, etc. You can also use CSS to create different layouts for your web pages, such as columns, grids, headers, footers, etc.
In this section, you will learn how to use CSS styles and layouts in Dreamweaver CS3. You will learn how to apply CSS styles to web pages, how to edit CSS styles, how to create and use external style sheets, and how to use CSS layouts and templates.
How to apply CSS styles to web pages?
To apply CSS styles to web pages in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open the web page that you want to style in the Document window.
Select the element that you want to style in the Document window or in the Tag selector at the bottom of the Dreamweaver window.
In the Properties inspector at the bottom of the Dreamweaver window, click on the CSS button to switch to the CSS mode.
In the CSS mode of the Properties inspector, you can see a list of style rules that apply to the selected element. You can also see a New CSS Rule button and an Edit Rule button.
To create a new style rule for the selected element, click on the New CSS Rule button. In the New CSS Rule dialog box, choose a selector type (Tag, Class, ID, Compound or Advanced) and enter a name for your style rule. You can also choose where to store your style rule (in an external style sheet or in the current document). Click on OK to create your style rule.
To edit an existing style rule for the selected element or any other element on your web page, click on the Edit Rule button. In the CSS Rule Definition dialog box, you can modify various properties of your style rule, such as font, color, background, border, margin, padding, etc. Click on OK to save your changes.
You have now applied CSS styles to your web page. You can use the Style Rendering toolbar at the top of the Dreamweaver window to toggle between different views of your web page (Design view, Code view, Live view) and different modes of your web page (Normal mode, Head Content mode). You can also use the Style Rendering toolbar to preview how your web page looks in different media types (Screen, Print, Handheld).
How to use the CSS panel and the Properties inspector to edit styles?
To edit CSS styles in Dreamweaver CS3, you can use either the CSS panel or the Properties inspector. The CSS panel gives you a more comprehensive view of all the style rules and properties that are used on your web page. The Properties inspector gives you a more convenient way of editing specific style rules and properties for selected elements on your web page.
To use the CSS panel and the Properties inspector to edit styles in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open the web page that you want to edit in the Document window.
Open the CSS panel by clicking on Window > CSS Styles or by pressing Shift+F11.
In the CSS panel, you can see two tabs: All and Current. The All tab shows all the style rules that are used on your web page. The Current tab shows only the style rules that apply to the currently selected element on your web page.
To edit a style rule in the CSS panel, select it from either tab and click on Edit Style Sheet button at the bottom of the panel. This will open a new window where you can modify various properties of your style rule. Click on OK to save your changes.
Adding Interactivity and Dynamic Content with Dreamweaver CS3
One of the advantages of using Dreamweaver CS3 is that it allows you to add interactivity and dynamic content to your web pages without having to write a lot of code. You can use Spry widgets and effects, Behaviors and JavaScript, and Server Behaviors and PHP to enhance your web pages with features such as menus, tabs, accordions, animations, validations, forms, databases, etc.
In this section, you will learn how to use Spry widgets and effects, Behaviors and JavaScript, and Server Behaviors and PHP in Dreamweaver CS3. You will learn how to use Spry widgets and effects to enhance web pages, how to use Behaviors and JavaScript to add interactivity to web pages, and how to use Server Behaviors and PHP to connect to databases and display dynamic content on web pages.
How to use Spry widgets and effects to enhance web pages?
Spry is an easy-to-use Ajax toolkit that comes with Dreamweaver CS3. Ajax stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML and it is a technique that allows you to update parts of a web page without reloading the whole page. Spry provides you with various widgets and effects that you can use to add Ajax functionality to your web pages.
Widgets are pre-built components that provide advanced functionality to web pages, such as menus, tabbed panels, accordion effects, collapsible panels, etc. Effects are animations that you can apply to elements on your web pages, such as slide, fade, highlight, etc.
To use Spry widgets and effects in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open the web page that you want to enhance in the Document window.
Open the Insert panel by clicking on Window > Insert or by pressing Ctrl+F2.
In the Insert panel, click on the Spry tab to see a list of Spry widgets and effects that you can insert into your web page.
To insert a Spry widget into your web page, select it from the list and click on it. For example, if you want to insert a Spry menu bar, select Menu Bar from the list and click on it. A dialog box will appear where you can customize the options for your widget. Click on OK to insert your widget into your web page.
To insert a Spry effect into your web page, select it from the list and drag it onto an element on your web page that you want to apply the effect to. For example, if you want to apply a slide effect to an image on your web page, select Slide from the list and drag it onto the image. A dialog box will appear where you can customize the options for your effect. Click on OK to apply your effect to your element.
You have now used Spry widgets and effects to enhance your web page. You can use the Design view or the Live view in the Document window to see how your widgets and effects look or work on your web page. You can also use the Code view or the Split view to see or edit the code that is generated by Dreamweaver for your widgets and effects.
How to use Behaviors and JavaScript to add interactivity to web pages?
How to use Server Behaviors and PHP to connect to databases and display dynamic content on web pages?
Server Behaviors are actions that you can attach to elements on your web pages that are executed on the server side, such as connecting to databases, inserting, updating, or deleting records, sending emails, etc. PHP is a scripting language that allows you to create dynamic web pages that can interact with databases and other server-side technologies. Dreamweaver CS3 provides you with various server behaviors that are written in PHP that you can use to connect to databases and display dynamic content on your web pages.
To use server behaviors and PHP in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open the web page that you want to enhance in the Document window.
Open the Application panel by clicking on Window > Application or by pressing F9.
In the Application panel, click on the Databases tab to see a list of databases that you can connect to from your web page. If you don't have any databases defined yet, click on the Plus (+) button and choose MySQL Connection from the menu. In the MySQL Connection dialog box, enter a name for your connection and fill in the details of your database server, such as hostname, username, password, and database name. Click on OK to create your connection.
In the Application panel, click on the Server Behaviors tab to see a list of server behaviors that you can insert into your web page. If you don't have any server behaviors defined yet, click on the Plus (+) button and choose a server behavior from the menu. For example, if you want to insert a record into a database table, choose Insert Record from the menu. In the Insert Record dialog box, choose your database connection and table from the drop-down menus and specify how you want to insert the record (from a form, from a URL parameter, etc.). Click on OK to insert your server behavior.
In the Document window, you can see a code snippet that is generated by Dreamweaver for your server behavior. You can also see a lightning bolt icon next to any element that is associated with a server behavior. You can edit the code or the element properties as needed.
You have now used server behaviors and PHP to connect to databases and display dynamic content on your web page. You can use the Design view or the Live view in the Document window to see how your web page looks or works on your web page. You can also use the Code view or the Split view to see or edit the code that is generated by Dreamweaver for your server behaviors.
Publishing and Managing Your Website with Dreamweaver CS3
After you have finished designing and testing your website locally, you need to publish it online so that other people can access it. To publish your website online, you need to upload your files from your local root folder to a remote server. A remote server is a computer that hosts your website files and makes them available over the internet.
In this section, you will learn how to publish and manage your website with Dreamweaver CS3. You will learn how to set up a remote server and upload your files, how to use the Files panel and the Site Manager to manage your files and folders, and how to use the Check In/Check Out and Synchronize features to collaborate with others.
How to set up a remote server and upload your files?
To set up a remote server and upload your files in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open Dreamweaver CS3 and click on Site > Manage Sites.
In the Manage Sites dialog box, select your site name from the list and click on Edit.
How to use the Files panel and the Site Manager to manage your files and folders?
The Files panel is a tool that allows you to view and manage your files and folders on both your local root folder and your remote server. You can use the Files panel to perform various tasks, such as creating, renaming, deleting, moving, copying, and synchronizing files and folders.
The Site Manager is a tool that allows you to view and manage your site definitions and settings. You can use the Site Manager to create, edit, duplicate, or delete site definitions, as well as to import or export site definitions.
To use the Files panel and the Site Manager in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open Dreamweaver CS3 and click on Window > Files or press F8 to open the Files panel.
In the Files panel, you can see two tabs: Local view and Remote view. The Local view shows your files and folders in your local root folder. The Remote view shows your files and folders on your remote server. You can switch between the two views by clicking on the tabs.
To manage your files and folders in either view, select them from the list and right-click on them to see a menu of options. For example, you can choose New File or New Folder to create a new file or folder, Rename to rename a file or folder, Delete to delete a file or folder, Move To Trash to move a file or folder to the trash bin, Cut or Copy to cut or copy a file or folder, Paste to paste a file or folder, Put to upload a file or folder to the remote server, Get to download a file or folder from the remote server, Synchronize to synchronize your files and folders between the local root folder and the remote server, etc.
To use the Site Manager, click on Site > Manage Sites. In the Manage Sites dialog box, you can see a list of your site definitions. You can click on New to create a new site definition, Edit to edit an existing site definition, Duplicate to duplicate an existing site definition, Delete to delete an existing site definition, Import to import a site definition from another computer or location, Export to export a site definition to another computer or location, etc.
You have now used the Files panel and the Site Manager to manage your files and folders.
How to use the Check In/Check Out and Synchronize features to collaborate with others?
If you are working on a website with other people, you need to make sure that you don't overwrite each other's changes or lose track of different versions of your files. Dreamweaver CS3 provides you with two features that can help you collaborate with others: Check In/Check Out and Synchronize.
Check In/Check Out is a feature that allows you to lock a file when you are working on it so that no one else can edit it until you check it back in. This prevents editing conflicts and ensures that only one person can modify a file at a time.
Synchronize is a feature that allows you to compare your files and folders between your local root folder and your remote server and update them accordingly. This ensures that both locations have the latest versions of your files and folders.
To use the Check In/Check Out and Synchronize features in Dreamweaver CS3, follow these steps:
Open Dreamweaver CS3 and click on Site > Manage Sites.
In the Manage Sites dialog box, select your site name from the list and click on Edit.
How to create and use external