Dreamweaver: how easy is it to use?

[ski]

I'm deciding between Notepad and Dreamweaver to build a site.

I've been working in notepad forever, but since my new site will need a database, Dreamweaver might be the way to go. I'm using the Dreamweaver MX (academic license) Help file right now to try tutorials, but SOMEONE's gotta tell me about their experience learning Dreamweaver.

Please post something ;)

[ski]

One more thing, if you suggest I use it over Notepad, I need a book or a website to learn from (for dummies)...

[Fas-ligand]

Why not go with something inbetween like FrontPage?

[revil]

because frontpage is horrible. It creates webpages with horrible horrible code. Dreamweaver is the ****. it's like notepad on crack.

[Fas-ligand]

because frontpage is horrible. It creates webpages with horrible horrible code. Dreamweaver is the ****. it's like notepad on crack.

heh, thanks for the advice :)

[oguevarra]

Been using Dreamweaver for the past 3 years and I love it. Check out macromedia for there tutorials, they'll help out alot.

[InfiniteNothing]

Why not go with something inbetween like FrontPage?
Jeebus, why not just go with MS Word.

[eSDee]

Dreamweaver is awesome. I highly recommend it.

[brainsmile]

looking to start using that program too

[Jihforce]

been using it for about 6 years now...pretty solid web design too. definitively a step beyond frontpage. I never had the need for books to learn it so i can't really suggest you any books at hte moment, online tutorials, as someone stated, are a lot of help.

[wally]

to add nothing new to this conversation,

dreamweaver is qualitaaaayyyyyyyyyy

[ski]

so how the heck did you guys learn how to work it!! i'm sitting on a fresh install...

[InfiniteNothing]

so how the heck did you guys learn how to work it!! i'm sitting on a fresh install...


I don't know if it's the same on all platforms but examine the tabs at the top and the buttons they have.

Then write text and insert pictures. Edit the text with the toolbal at the bottom.

and you're done. If you need to get nitty gritty change over to split mode (text,wyswyg)

[DaFunkyUnit]

so how the heck did you guys learn how to work it!! i'm sitting on a fresh install...


i usually go to some forum online and ask endless questions and try to have others do my work for me.

[revil]

I just started playing with it. seems quite intuitive to me. Then again, I've been dabbling with webstuf for over 8 years

[ski]

i usually go to some forum online and ask endless questions and try to have others do my work for me.
whew, then i'm not the only one. *sniff sniff* I smell sarcasm...

There are thousands of websites and hundreds of books written on Dreamweaver. I just want to know if any of our 10,000+ members here (albit only 3% are active :P) have used a resource that he or should would recommend.

[Maarchk]

The best thing i can offer is to download the flash tutorials. They seem to be a good basic start if you are that early a point in your web creating knowledge.

[redcolours]

yep, as mentioned, its quite intuitive. just gotta invest some time with it.

i used part of the built-in tutorials, some thru books (helps to work in a bookstore), some thru online forum tricks (asking around), some by simply stumbling on to the functionality. i didnt try to learn it all at once (i tried it but learned nothing). just going by the basics, figuring out how to do it in DW, then seeing a neat feature in another website, wanting to incorporate it in my own, then figuring out how to do that, etc. I essentially just planned out how the site will look like first, then researched on how to do it in DW. if it got complicated, then i consulted with the resources mentioned.

*i made my move from frontpage to dreamweaver several years back, and as easy as frontpage is, its very limited, and yes, it ADDS CRAP to the code. dreamweaver is quite clean. also, the host youre going to upload to will need frontpage extensions - it wont work without them. whereas DW MX just needs a simple FTP program to upload it (it even has its own).

[Maarchk]

Ski,
Did you learn dream weaver? I'm trying to learn it again now and oh man i'm a little nervous. Who can guide a brother to building a fairly simple, text, some simple buttons, and like 4 pictures web page.

Have little knowledge of HTML. I made a couple simple linking websites a few years back.
Thanks!

[mechmike0034]

Who can guide a brother to building a fairly simple, text, some simple buttons, and like 4 pictures web page.

Have little knowledge of HTML. I made a couple simple linking websites a few years back.
Thanks!

You could do what I did - get a free XHTML/CSS template (http://gofreeserve.info/archives/free-web-template-resources)and edit it in your choice of text editor. I personally like tswebeditor (http://tswebeditor.tigris.org/).

I found it to be a great way to learn...

There are some good HTML reference (http://www.aumha.org/html/lernhtml.htm) pages and CSS reference (http://blog.lxpages.com/2007/07/01/101-css-tips-tutorials-and-examples/)pages out there, too...

[InfiniteNothing]

Try NVU http://www.nvu.com/

[Maarchk]

sweet guys. Going to start trying some of these right now.
Thank you. :)

[Devhux]

Surprised nobody brought up the "Golden Shovel Award" -- caught me off-guard when I started seeing the word "Frontpage" :)

At least the thread resurrection actually stayed on topic though, which is a good thing. :)

Last time I took a look at Dreamweaver, it seemed like a fairly complex program -- though naturally you could do so much with it. Right now I just use Notepad++ and create my HTML by hand.