This page describes the most important features of the DreamWeaver 8 workspace. Get to know the workspace before you start working on web documents in Dreamweaver. Also, see Chapter 1 of your textbook.

Workspace Features

• Main Menu
• Toolbars (Standard, Document, & Insert Toolbars)
• Property Bar - Properties of tags and objects. Very powerful editing tool.
• Panels - File Management, Research, Design and CSS Styles. Code References, Tag Inspector, many others.
  • See also Main Menu > Window for a list of available panes and tabs within panels
• Status Bar - Tag locator, document size, est. loading time.
• Setting Up Your Workspace Preferences - Edit Preferences
• Toolbars (View > Toolbars)
  • Insert Toolbar - Contains seven internal sub-toolbars under the "Insert Arrow"
    • Common Functions (Default)
    • Layout (Tables)
    • Forms - Buttons for creating web forms
    • Text - Common HTML text mark-up commands. Inclues "Special Characters" list.
    • HTML - Special commands
      • META Descriptions in Head tags
      • Scripts buttons
    • Application - dialog boxes for inserting web applications programming statements
    • Flash Elements - View Flash elements prior to inserting on a page.
    • Favorites - listing favorite objects you use over and over again on a page.
  • Standard Toolbar - Icons for New File Open, Save, Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo, Redo
  • Document Toolbar - Code/Split/Design - Title - FTP File Management Buttons

Creating a Document. First, use the File > New panel to create a proper XHTML compliant web site. If you have created a template (DreamWeaver Advanced) remember to choose the template from the template tab in the New Dialog box also..

Second, make sure the Accessibility and editing features you want are checked under the Edit > Preferences dialog box.

• File > New Document Panel
  • Make Documents XHTML Compliant
  • Put a Title on your document
• Main Menu
• Toolbars - View>Toolbars
• View Window Options -
  1. Code
  2. Design
  3. Code and Design
• View Menu - Important Items
  • Code View Options - Word Wrap, etc.
  • Rulers, Grid (We'll use these later.)
  • Head Content - META tag dialog boxes -