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Macromedia Dreamweaver FAQ

1. What is Dreamweaver?
2. What's the difference between Dreamweaver and Dreamweaver UltraDev?
3. Do you have to know HTML to use Dreamweaver?
4. Can I view and edit the HTML code?
5. What version of HTML and JavaScript does Dreamweaver write?
6. How do Dreamweaver Templates work?
7. What do Dreamweaver Library items do?
8. How are Fireworks and Dreamweaver integrated?
9. Can I make pages in other languages, (other than English) with Dreamweaver?
10. What are Dreamweaver Extensions?
11. What is the Dreamweaver Exchange?
12. Can I work with ASP, JSP, CFML and other non-HTML markup languages in Dreamweaver?
13. Does Dreamweaver include hit-counters, form handling, and other server-side functionality?
14. Does Dreamweaver come with templates or can I import FrontPage templates?
15. Can I make e-commerce sites with Dreamweaver?
16. Does Dreamweaver support XML?

Dreamweaver is the professional visual design solution for creating groundbreaking Web sites. Dreamweaver's powerful features allow users to automate production and enhance team efficiency. Dreamweaver facilitates workflow through integration with other Web applications, Microsoft Office, and leading e-commerce and application servers. Moreover, Dreamweaver can be customized using HTML, JavaScript, and XML for advanced Web site development. Dreamweaver builds better Web sites faster.

Dreamweaver assists developers in authoring static HTML pages. Dreamweaver UltraDev allows developers to author pages in HTML as well as in scripting languages such as ASP, JSP, and CFML. While Dreamweaver can be integrated with leading Web application servers, it is not engineered for visually creating Web applications. Dreamweaver UltraDev is built specifically for creating dynamic Web applications.

A working knowledge of HTML is very helpful when using Dreamweaver. However, many developers use Dreamweaver as a tool for learning HTML. Users can design pages in the Document window and then view the HTML code that Dreamweaver writes in the HTML Source inspector.

Dreamweaver provides direct access to the HTML code through the HTML Source inspector. In the HTML Source inspector, users can directly hand code HTML and see the code rendered in the visual Document window. With the new Quick Tag Editor, users have direct access to the code without leaving the visual Document window.

Dreamweaver writes a subset of HTML 4.0 (for DHTML) and HTML 3.2 for maximum compatibility. Dreamweaver writes JavaScript which ranges from 1 to 1.2, using the most widely compatible code.

Dreamweaver Templates allow developers to better manage the overall design of their sites by separating page content from page design. By defining editable areas on a page, developers can restrict changes that can be made to the layout of a particular HTML page. Content contributors can then add and edit content in these editable regions without compromising the site's design. Moreover, changes can be made to the overall design of the site quickly by revising the template file directly.

Dreamweaver Library items allow users to save sections of HTML code from an existing page for later use. These Library items can be added to pages in the site from the Library palette with drag and drop ease. Libraries also make it easier than ever to update code across many pages, as edits to a Library item will be reflected in all pages that reference it throughout the site.

There are features in Dreamweaver that facilitate the introduction of Fireworks content into Dreamweaver HTML pages. The Fireworks Export dialog box exports buttons or navigation bars with attached JavaScript behaviors from Fireworks as Dreamweaver HTML. This code can be seamlessly introduced into a Dreamweaver document. The Create Web Photo Album command in Dreamweaver helps organize files by creating thumbnail images of graphic files in Fireworks, which are then inserted in a Dreamweaver document with links to the larger image files. The Optimize Image in Fireworks command in Dreamweaver launches Fireworks and the Fireworks Optimization dialog box, which provides options for reducing the file size of an image while preserving the quality of the image.

Yes. Authoring pages in Latin-based languages is possible providing that the fonts of that language are available on the system. Dreamweaver 3 on the Macintosh can create pages that use double-byte fonts, such as Japanese and Chinese characters, when the appropriate language kit is installed on the system. Dreamweaver on a Windows system can create pages that use double-byte fonts, provided the user is working on the localized operating system for the desired language. On a Windows system, the user must also have the appropriate localized version of Dreamweaver.

Dreamweaver Extensions add extra functionality to Dreamweaver. Extending Dreamweaver is easier than ever before! Users can access the Macromedia Exchange for Dreamweaver 3 from the Command menu and Help menu for direct, easy access to the new Extension Manager and a wide variety of extensions that are readily available.

The Macromedia Exchange for Dreamweaver is the place developers can download extensions that will extend the functionality of Dreamweaver. These easy-to-install extensions are a great way for a beginning user to expand on Dreamweaver's core functionality. Advanced users can share their own objects, behaviors, and commands through the Exchange and new users can benefit from the efforts of the community of extension developers.

While Dreamweaver is primarily an HTML authoring tool, it allows for editing pages with non-HTML markup languages. Support for ASP, JSP, and CFML is included with built-in data translators. Extended support can be added for editing any non-HTML markup language through extensibility. Dreamweaver permits disabling automatic HTML correction when working on pages which contain non-HTML markup language. Users may wish to consider Dreamweaver UltraDev when working with ASP, JSP, or CFML.

Dreamweaver does not have these features, as most of this functionality is provided through server-based solutions rather than client-based solutions. Dreamweaver frees Web producers to use standard methods of communicating with server-side scripts and applications, rather than forcing producers to use specific extensions or applications to access this functionality. Many ISPs offer much of this functionality through public CGI scripts. Check with your Web host to see what scripts are available.

Dreamweaver Templates are available on the Dreamweaver CD and are available online for users who have purchased Dreamweaver electronically. Currently, there are an additional 18 templates available for download from the Macromedia Dreamweaver Templates page of the Macromedia Web site. FrontPage templates do NOT work with Dreamweaver.

Yes, however, e-commerce requires server-side technology that is not part of the Dreamweaver software package. Through the Macromedia Dreamweaver Exchange, users can install extensions which enable e-commerce related interactivity in Dreamweaver. Users may wish to consider Dreamweaver UltraDev when developing e-commerce sites.

Although there is no user interface for inserting XML, Dreamweaver supports the manual insertion of custom tags in the XML format. Using the Import XML into Template feature, Dreamweaver Templates can be used to facilitate the insertion of XML content into pages created from templates.

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