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Chapter 1: Starting Up Dreamweaver
After double-clicking the Dreamweaver program icon, you will be faced with a myriad of windows, palettes, and inspectors. The possibilities are endless. But fear not, fellow traveler, you will become well acquainted with the Dreamweaver environment. Before we get started, however, there are a few things that need to be introduced. First and most important is an introduction to the Dreamweaver environment and the ways it can be molded to suit your preferences. Then, the chapter will close with a look at how to set up a local site on your own hard drive. In this chapter, you will learn about the following topics:
- A tour of the Dreamweaver interface
- Customizing the Dreamweaver environment
- Setting up a local site
A Tour of the Dreamweaver Interface
One of the great joys of Dreamweaver is its interface. The program boasts an incredible set of tools, all of which need to be right at your fingertips at a moment's notice. The interface, which is designed to accommodate a wide range of expertise and working styles, allows you to maximize what's really important-creativity. The interface itself is broken up into a series of windows, palettes, and inspectors. In this section, you'll be introduced to the most common of these tools.
Note
Never a company to do any following, Macromedia has managed to stay well ahead of the pack with this newest release of Dreamweaver. The program itself has some very cool new features that fit into four general categories: code, design, collaborative tools, and user interface. For a more detailed look at Dreamweaver 4's new features, check out the bonus web-only content for this volume at www.sybex.com/2832.
The Document Window
All of your creations will take shape in the Document Window. Think of it as a canvas upon which you paint your web pages. Don't be fooled by its initial emptiness, however. The Document Window is far more than just a vacant space into which you mold your creations. There is an abundance of information and tools built right into the Status Bar, which lies at the bottom of the Document Window. The following subsection will explore the most important of these tools.
The Tag Selector
The Tag Selector is a nifty selection tool that displays the HTML tags that are associated with any given element you select. Simply click the particular tag of an element, and that element-be it an image, a table, or text-is automatically selected.
Window Size
The Window Size serves two primary functions. First, it provides an indicator as to the current size (in pixels) of the Document Window you're currently working in. Second, if you resize your window, the Window Size changes immediately to reflect the new value. By clicking the Window Size and opening the drop-down menu, you can easily choose from a preset list of window sizes.
Document Size/Download Time
The Document Size/Download Time indicator is one of the unsung heroes of the Dreamweaver environment. Basically, it tells you the current size of your page (in kilobytes) and the amount of time (in seconds) it will take to download it over a 28.8KBps modem connection.
As you add objects to your page, both numbers will increase. If you spend a lot of time thinking about bandwidth, this is definitely a tool to keep your eye on. Later in this chapter, you will learn how to change the reading to reflect the download time at different speedsover a 56KBps modem or a cable modem, for example.
The Mini-Launcher
With a click of the mouse, the Mini-Launcher allows you to launch (from left to right) the Site Window, the HTML Styles Palette, the Cascading Style Sheet Palette, the Behaviors Palette, the History Palette, the HTML Inspector, and the Assets Panel. A little later in the chapter you'll learn about the Mini-Launcher's big brother, the Launcher, and how you can add and remove tools from the Launcher...
