Adobe Dreamweaver CS3

By Dale Farris, Reviews Coordinator Golden Triangle PC Club May 2007 Product Overview Dreamweaver CS3 is the essential software suite used to design, develop, and maintain interactive online experiences. Dreamweaver CS3 is the first Adobe owned version of the feature-rich Web site editor that was last released as Macromedia's Dreamweaver 8. After Adobe bought Macromedia, it began integrating Dreamweaver with Photoshop and other applications in the Adobe Creative Suite, and Dreamweaver CS3 is the impressive result. The basic interface and features of Dreamweaver are the solid tools that advanced Web designers know by heart. However, in this new version, Adobe has brought Dreamweaver up to an even more powerful level with full Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) support through tools that validate and manage style sheets, as well as a new graphic interface for Adobe's "Spry Framework," a set of JavaScript code snippets built into Dreamweaver for displaying dynamic elements such as collapsing menus, database items, or XML feeds. Any developer can download the Spry framework separately from Adobe's site and use the code in any Web editor, but only Dreamweaver has it built in. The new version of Dreamweaver CS3 is an essential upgrade for any Dreamweaver user who wants to build up-to-date CSS-based code, and it offers effortless drag-and-drop integration with Photoshop. Potential newcomers may want to compare Dreamweaver with Microsoft's compact Expression Web before taking the plunge. Both programs let you create sites from templates that impose design consistency, and both automatically display syntax options when you're editing code. However, Dreamweaver also supports Secure FTP uploads, and it's the only choice if you want automated code-completion on PHP and ColdFusion pages. Dreamweaver also includes prebuilt dynamic widgets, such as an "Accordion" that expands to display hidden data when a user clicks on a title. Even more now than in earlier versions, Dreamweaver acts like a powerful, smooth-running machine, with up to a dozen control panels, multi-tabbed inspectors, toolbars, and other controls arrayed around its editing screen. If you like the feeling that you can do anything on the page in the editing window, and that you can fine-tune even the most complexly organized Web site, Dreamweaver CS3 is the program to choose. On the other hand, Dreamweaver's overstuffed menus and toolbars can be intimidating and confusing, especially for those new to Dreamweaver, and you need to pay close attention to its messages that remind you to upload auxiliary files to your remote site when publishing. Also, Dreamweaver's right-click menu lacks the context-sensitive options in Expression Web's menu, and it exiles its tools that manage dynamic data to hard-to-find property panels away from the main editing window. Microsoft's Expression Web also uses property panels when you want them, but it offers a compact set of commonly used options from the right-click context menu. If there's a feature that you want to add to your site that you can't find on the menu, you can probably add it through the massive library of freeware extensions that users have contributed to Dreamweaver's online resource. Dreamweaver is much improved, and it's the only Web editor that does everything. You may find that for some tasks, Dreamweaver is the only way to go. Dreamweaver CS3 is the must-have suite for start-to-finish design, development and maintenance of websites, applications, games, interactive presentations, and mobile content. Express creativity Dreamweaver CS3 offers the broadest range of creative tools for expressiveness and creation of vibrant interactive media, websites, or applications. Use advanced graphics, text, animation, video, and audio tools with precision control and quality. From simple animated graphics to sophisticated interactive experiences, Dreamweaver CS3 provides a full suite of tools for limitless creativity. Get more done Dreamweaver CS3 speeds the design, development, and maintenance process, with reliable round-tripping between Macromedia products, integration with third-party products, and key features like batch processing, batch encoding, and general performance enhancements to get projects done faster. Pick any platform Support for Windows and Mac OS X enables Studio to deliver projects on the platform of choice. Deliver projects that support the widest range of operating systems, browsers, and server technologies. Discover Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 software, which now includes CSS tools, Ajax components for building dynamic user interfaces, and intelligent integration with other Adobe software. Reasons to Upgrade / New Features Spry framework for Ajax Visually design, develop, and deploy dynamic user interfaces using the Spry framework for Ajax. Add interactivity, speed, and usability while reducing page refreshes. Spry data Spry data Integrate data into web pages using XML from an RSS feed or a database. Integrated data can be easily sorted and filtered. Spry widgets Easily add common interface components such as lists, tables, tabs, form validation, and repeatable regions to web pages with widgets from the Spry framework for Ajax. Spry effects Easily add visual transitions to page elements to make them grow, shrink, fade, highlight, and more with the Spry effects for Ajax. Adobe Photoshop and Fireworks integration Copy and paste directly from Adobe Photoshop® CS3 or Fireworks® CS3 into Dreamweaver CS3 to leverage assets from your prototype in your finished project. Browser Compatibility Check Save time and ensure a more consistent experience across browsers and operating systems with the new Browser Compatibility Check. Generate reports that identify CSS-related issues in a variety of browsers, without needing to launch the browsers. CSS Advisor website Find fast solutions to browser-specific CSS issues with the new CSS Advisor website, an online community featuring a wealth of user-contributed solutions and insight. CSS layouts Easily incorporate CSS into your project with the new CSS layouts. Extensive comments in each template explain the layout, so beginning and intermediate designers can learn quickly. Each template can be customized for your project. CSS management Easily move CSS code from inline to head, from head to external sheet, from document to document, or between external sheets. Cleaning up existing CSS in older pages has never been easier. Adobe Device Central CS3 Design, preview, and test mobile device content using Adobe Device Central, now integrated throughout Adobe Creative Suite 3. Top Features Industry-leading tool Take advantage of all the flexibility and power of a world-class web design tool. Manipulate pixel-perfect designs in Design view, craft complex code in Code view, or do a little of each. Work the way you work best. Integrated workflows Design, develop, and maintain content within Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 while taking advantage of intelligent integration with other Adobe tools, including Adobe Flash CS3 Professional, Adobe Fireworks CS3, Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe Contribute CS3, and new Adobe Device Central CS3 for creating mobile device content. Browser compatibility check Complete CSS support Discover the advantage of visual CSS tools that make it easy to view, edit, and move styles within and between files, as well as see how your changes will affect the design. Accelerate your workflow with new CSS layouts, and test your design with the new Browser Compatibility Check. Integrated coding environment Integrated coding environment Organize and accelerate your coding with code collapse, color coding, line numbering, and a coding toolbar with comment/uncomment and code snippets. Apply code hints for HTML and server languages. Support for leading technologies Take advantage of support for leading web development technologies, including HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript, Ajax, PHP, Adobe ColdFusion, ASP, ASP.NET, and JSP. Effortless XML Quickly integrate XML content using either XSL or the Spry framework for Ajax. Point to an XML file or XML feed URL, and Dreamweaver CS3 will display its contents, enabling you to drag and drop appropriate fields onto your page. FLV support Easily add FLV files to your web pages in just five clicks, with no knowledge of Flash required. Customize the video environment to match your website. Learning resources Learn as you go with comprehensive in-product tutorials, reference content, and instructional templates that make it easy to expand your skill set and adopt the latest technologies. Extended Dreamweaver community Enjoy all the benefits of the extensive Dreamweaver community, including the online Adobe Design Center and Adobe Developer Center, training and seminars, developer certification programs, user forums, and more than 1,000 downloadable extensions available in the Dreamweaver Exchange. Cross-platform support Pick your platform: Dreamweaver CS3 is available for Intel or PowerPC based Macintosh computers, as well as for Windows XP and Windows Vista systems. Design in your preferred platform and then deliver across platforms with more reliable, consistent, and high-performance results. Powerful Features Visual authoring with XML data Integrate XML-based data, such as RSS feeds into web pages using a simple drag and drop workflow. Jump to code view to customize the transformation, using improved code hinting for XML and XSLT. New, unified CSS panel All the CSS functionality is consolidated into one panel set and enhanced to make working with CSS easier and more productive. The new interface makes it easier to see the cascade of styles applied to a specific element and easily identify where attributes are defined. A property grid allows for quick edits. Best Practices of CSS Dreamweaver provides the best tools for creating and maintaining CSS based web pages. CSS layout visualization Apply visual aides at design time to outline CSS layout borders or color CSS layouts to reveal complex nesting schemes and improve selection. Click on the CSS layout for valuable Tooltips, such as ID and padding and margin and border settings. Style rendering toolbar View content the same way end-users will see it, no matter what the delivery mechanism, with new support for CSS media types in Dreamweaver 8. Use the style rendering toolbar to toggle to design view and see how it will look in print, on a handheld, or on a screen. CSS rendering improvements Match how complex CSS layouts will render in most browsers, with substantial improvements in design view accuracy. Dreamweaver now fully supports advanced CSS techniques, such as overflow, pseudo-elements, and form elements. Accessibility: Support for WCAG/W3C priority 2 checkpoints In addition to the integrated accessibility evaluation tool for Section 508 and WCAG Priority 1 checkpoints, Dreamweaver now supports both CSS and accessibility with an updated evaluation tool that includes WCAG Priority 2 checkpoints. Improved WebDAV WebDAV in Dreamweaver now supports digest authentication and SSL for secure file transfer and offers improved connectivity with a wider array of servers. Background file transfer Stop waiting and keep working while Dreamweaver uploads files to the server. New functionality enables users to work with files in their local machine while Dreamweaver communicates with the server. Zoom Get great control over design with zoom. Pan in and inspect an image or work with a complex nested table layout. Zoom out to review how a page will look overall. Guides Compare the page layout to comps with pixel perfect accuracy using guides to measure page layouts. Great visual feedback helps measure distances accurately and supports intelligent snapping. Coding toolbar The new code toolbar surfaces common coding operations in a gutter bar along the side of the coding surface. No more hunting through menus and panels to find code snippets. New coding features include comment/uncomment. Code collapse Focus only on the code in use. Hide and expand blocks of code by selection or by tag to stay organized. Workspace layouts Customize and save workspace configurations. Dreamweaver ships with four different configurations that are tailored to the needs of designers and coders. Pick and choose, or easily build a custom workspace. Tabbed documents for the Mac New document tabs on Mac help simplify the user interface and make it easier to select documents. New starter pages Get started with web design in a snap. Beautiful new layouts and designs allow users to go from installation to full site in no time flat. Improved site synchronize and check in / check out Manage sites with increased reliability and confidence. Improved site synchronization features help ensure that the file in use is the latest version. Prevent accidental overwriting of others’ work with improved check-in/ check-out functionality to track who is working on which files. Compare files Quickly compare files to identify what has changed, whether it is two local files, a file on the local and remote, or two files on the remote server. Dreamweaver 8 now integrates with diff utilities on both the Mac and Windows platforms. Paste special Spend less time wrestling content from email and Microsoft Word into formats. With new pasting options in Dreamweaver, retain all the source formatting created in Microsoft Word, or just take the text and apply the CSS already attached to the page. Site relative references Work seamlessly with server-side includes at design time and run time by ensuring that references are relative to sites instead of local files. Code editing improvements Gain greater control over how the tool hints and completes tags to fit with your coding style. Latest technologies and standards Support for ColdFusion MX 7 Updated support for ColdFusion MX 7 includes new server behaviors and code hinting. To match the code hinting and debugging with the correct version of ColdFusion, Dreamweaver automatically detects the server version the first time the tool connects to the site. The tight integration between Dreamweaver and ColdFusion allows users to add and remove databases directly from the database and components panel in Dreamweaver to show only CFCs defined in the current site—making navigating CFCs a snap. Support for PHP 5 Take advantage of updated support for PHP 5, including server behaviors and code hinting. Flash Video Adding Flash Video to sites is drop dead simple. Add and customize the presentation of video on sites using an easy, five-click, dialog driven process. Macromedia Web Publishing System: notification and event logging Keep track of everything that is going on within your site. Events in Dreamweaver will notify the Macromedia Web Publishing System server so that all changes to a website in the WPS ecosystem are recorded. Updated reference material from O’Reilly New reference content for XML, XSLT, and XPath and updated content for ASP and JSP complements the already robust reference set in Dreamweaver. Work with the languages required for sites and applications. Importance of Dreamweaver CS3 Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 is a complete toolkit for Web designers and animators, and it introduces new features that will make creative mouths water. Many digital content makers can find their way around Macromedia software in their sleep, but the upgrade to Dreamweaver CS3 makes common tasks easier to execute for those without coding expertise. Adobe aims to make Dreamweaver friendlier for people who lack coding knowledge, although amateurs will need some education before diving in, particularly for the intricate Dreamweaver. But professionals and design teams can jump right into work-flow improvements designed to reduce multiple round-trips between apps. Large companies also get tools within Contribute 3 to centrally manage Web sites with multiple editors. And subtle layout changes throughout the suite, such as ruler guides within Dreamweaver, help import graphics from Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Adobe expanded Dreamweaver's tools for making dynamic and expressive content. To start, Dreamweaver lets you drag and drop XML feeds into pages, handy for newsy Web sites and blogs. The apps within Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 all include extensive help files, plus access to an excellent online support center with well-written FAQs, tutorials, and peer forums. Macromedia includes four "getting started" tech-support incidents (a telephone call and follow-up calls for the same issue) within 90 days of purchase. Price $399 Dreamweaver CS3 $199 Upgrade Price System Configuration Requirements Windows P-IV, Centrino, Xeon, or Intel Core Duo (or compatible) processor Windows XP (SP2), Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise (certified for 32-bit editions) 1GB free hard disk space 512MB RAM 1,024 x 768 monitor resolution 16-bit video card DVD-ROM drive Internet or phone connection required for product activation Broadband Internet connection required for Adobe Stock Photos and other services Macintosh PowerPC G4 or G5 or multicore Intel processor Mac OS X v.10.4.8 1.4GB free hard disk space 512MB RAM 1,024 x 768 monitor resolution 16-bit video card DVD-ROM drive Internet or phone connection required for product activation Broadband Internet connection required for Adobe Stock Photos and other services Online services, including, but not limited to, Adobe Stock Photos and Adobe Acrobat Connect™, may not be available in all countries, languages, and currencies. Availability of services is subject to change. Use of online services is governed by terms and conditions of a separate agreement and may be subject to additional fees. About Adobe / Macromedia Macromedia is motivated by the belief that great experiences build great businesses. Macromedia software empowers millions of business users, developers, and designers to create and deliver effective, compelling, and memorable experiences—on the Internet, on fixed media, on wireless, and on digital devices. As some readers know, Macromedia and Adobe have merged to produce a major company that combines the prior strength and market dominance of both former companies into one powerhouse of software development. For more than two decades, both company's award-winning technologies and software have redefined business, entertainment, and personal communications by setting new standards for producing and delivering content that engages people anywhere at anytime. From rich images in print, video, and film to dynamic digital content for a variety of media, the impact of Adobe and Macromedia solutions is clear to anyone who creates, views, and interacts with information. Now that Adobe and Macromedia are one company, Adobe is better positioned than ever to push the boundaries of the digital universe. Under the leadership of CEO Bruce Chizen, Adobe is driving even greater innovation with powerful, compelling software solutions that meet the needs of customers and markets ranging from designers and filmmakers, to enterprises and governments, to developers and home users. Contact Adobe Systems, Inc. Corporate Headquarters 345 Park Avenue San Jose, California 95110-2704 408-536-6000 800-833-6687 FAX 408-537-6000 Order Online at Adobe Corporation www.adobe.com/store/main.jhtml