| So you now have the Dreamweaver 8 and you are | | | | makes it easy to view your pages in cell |
| just not quite sure whether your web design | | | | phones. |
| company is willing to shell out some more to | | | | |
| upgrade to the latest CS3 version. This is | | | | Web design feature #4: Ajax Implementation |
| actually a challenging decision to make for | | | | Now Made Possible |
| your web design company. As a web designer, | | | | |
| you have to work with the software, so it is | | | | The Dreamweaver CS3 now has integrated the |
| both your right and responsibility to decide | | | | Spry framework so that it adding Ajax widgets |
| whether the new version will help you come up | | | | and effects onto your pages have now been |
| with improved web design. This makes you | | | | made possible. All you do is to drag and drop |
| wonder too: Now that Adobe has already bought | | | | them and incorporate them into your dataset. |
| Macromedia, what have they done to it? Have | | | | Dreamweaver CS3 features Spry components |
| they ruined it, or have they made it so much | | | | which include: widgets for tables, lists and |
| better that you should already kick yourself | | | | forms: transition effects such as growing, |
| now for not buying it earlier? Well, if I | | | | shrinking, highlighting and fading, and |
| were to be asked, I stand somewhere in | | | | integration of data from XML feeds such as in |
| between these two. | | | | database or RSS. |
| | | | |
| Web design feature #1: Adobe and Dreamweaver | | | | Web design feature #5: XLST Support |
| Together | | | | |
| | | | Another amazing feature about the CS3 that |
| Your web design company may find it reason | | | | both you and your web design company will |
| enough to buy the new Dreamweaver CS3 because | | | | love is the extensive support it has for XLST |
| of its full integration with Adobe graphics | | | | through the use of XML files as database |
| tools like those found in Photoshop. When you | | | | source. Through XSLT, it is easy to view the |
| have an image, you can directly click on it | | | | XML in a tree form and integrate it right |
| and edit right away. | | | | into your HTML document. This simply means |
| | | | that if you have a number of XML files set in |
| Web design feature #2: CSS Support Made | | | | the same format; it is relatively simple to |
| Better | | | | create one single template for all of them in |
| | | | the new CS3 using XLST. |
| One of the best features found in the new | | | | |
| Dreamweaver CS3 is the integration of better | | | | Web design feature #6: Support for Mac Intel |
| CSS layouts. These layouts are all | | | | Processors |
| well-commented in the code, so it can be | | | | |
| pretty easy to start knowing how CSS layouts | | | | If your web design company works on an |
| tend to work. They now have over 32 layouts | | | | Intel-based Macintosh platform, you will be |
| that you can choose from in 1, 2 or 3-column | | | | happy with the performance improvements of |
| formats, in fixed and liquid type web | | | | the CS3. It is now native to the platform and |
| designs. You may also define the position | | | | does not run on Rosetta so that it loads a |
| where you want the CSS to be when creating a | | | | lot quickly than before. In fact, CS3 claims |
| new page, not to mention how easy it is to | | | | that what loads in Dreamweaver 8 for 4 |
| move the CSS styles around. You can stat out | | | | minutes can load in the CS3 in under one |
| by styling the tag directly into the HTML | | | | minute. You can do further testing to confirm |
| through a style attribute and move it to your | | | | this. |
| style sheet. With Dreamweaver CS3, you will | | | | |
| only have to right click on the tag and set | | | | To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade |
| it to "Convert Inline CSS to Rule" to build a | | | | |
| custom class for that specific style or to | | | | That is the question. In my case, I have |
| create one full CSS selector. | | | | upgraded and haven't regretted any of it. I |
| | | | appreciate the new CSS features, the XSLT |
| Web design feature #3: Mobile Support | | | | support and the Device Central. However, your |
| | | | web design company may see one piece that is |
| Your web design company will also be pleased | | | | still missing, which is that of web design |
| to know about the mobile support integrated | | | | time and programming. As in the previous |
| into the new CS3 version. Creating pages made | | | | versions, the Dreamweaver CS3 is also still |
| especially for mobile devices have been | | | | difficult to use in terms of live databases |
| popular in the recent years, but it can be | | | | and server side scripts. However, there may |
| difficult to design one which is compatible | | | | be extensions to make things easier for you. |
| both on mobile and web browser platforms. | | | | On a general whole, go on and upgrade and you |
| However, with the integration of the Adobe | | | | will most likely never have to look back. |
| Device Central into the CS3, Dreamweaver now | | | | |