What Makes Ten Ton Different?
Most computer books are so dry they're a fire hazard. You've probably already flipped around through Ten Ton a bit and realized that things are a little unconventional here. Don't be frightenedthis is a good thing. I think you'll find this book a whole lot different from other computer books, not just in its layout and design, but also in its approach, content, and style.
Having fun while learning about computers? How is this possible? What is he thinking? He'll destroy us all! So from this point forward, imagine that you and I are sitting on a big comfy couch in one of those hip downtown coffee pubs. There's some jazz happening in the background (or trip hop, if that's your thing). I brought my laptop, and you brought all your questions about Dreamweaver and web design. Lenny Kravitz just walked in, and after you and I have made fools of ourselves telling him how cool he is, we finally sit down for some Dreamweaver talk. That's what this book's aboutchillin' with coffee, Lenny, some background tunes, and big comfy couches.
New Stuff in Dreamweaver 8
Retaining Formatting with Paste Special" in Chapter 5.
Synch up with site synchronization: When you're working with local and remote sites (that is, sites that are stored both on your computer and on a web server), keeping both updated and exactly the same can be tough. See "Sync EverythingEven the Kitchen Sink" in Chapter 14 for synching synchronicity.
Linking with root-relative paths: When setting hyperlinks, you can now use root-relative paths rather than Dreamweaver's default document-relative paths. The path to hyperlink mastery starts in Chapter 9.
Get a better look with the Zoom tool: Dreamweaver now lets you zoom in and out on your pages, making it easier to place and align objects more precisely.
Compile in styleThe Style Rendering toolbar: Here's a useful tool. Use the Style Rendering toolbar to see how your page will look on different web-capable devices, like television sets, Blackberry devices, and computer projectors. Tool up in "One Eye on the Map: The Style Rendering Toolbar" in Chapter 2.
Life gets easy with the Coding toolbar: Code with ease using Dreamweaver's new Coding toolbar. Highlight invalid code, select parent tags, and adjust the way the code is viewed.
Get more done with background file transfer: In previous versions, Dreamweaver was out of commission when files were being transferred. With background file transfer, you can continue working while files are being moved. Get uploaded in "The End of Coffee BreaksForever!" in Chapter 4.
Go miles with comparing files: Can't remember what you did yesterday? Me neither. Now you can compare one file against another and view their differencesvery handy if you find your local and remote sites get out of synch.
The deal with document tabs (Mac only): Rather than having separate floating document windows for each open file, Mac users can now enjoy something called document tabs, which Windows users have enjoyed for quite a while. Put it on your tab in "Document Tab Detour" in Chapter 2.
Workspace layout lowdown: Hate having to always reset and rearrange panels and toolbars? Save entire workspace arrangements in Dreamweaver with this handy little function.
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Should I Be Reading This Book?
Is this book for you? If you're just getting started in web design, perhaps making the leap from the print world, you're in the right spot. Even zero experience will get you in the door. Or perhaps you're in a situation where you've been working in web design for a while, maybe with another program or even a previous version of Dreamweaver, and you already have some experience under your belt. If that's the case, there's lots here for you to pick up.
Just the Gist summarizes each chapter's material in a bulleted format, giving you just the main points. One other thing: A lot of authors want you to read from start to finish. Me, I don't care. Skip chapters, make notes in the margins, highlight stuff, dog-ear pages, destroy the book, read it backwards for demonic passages . . . whatever. The book is meant to adapt to your life, not the other way around. So rain down a firestorm of Post-it notes, paperclips, highlighters, and anything else that'll help you along the way. Read it on the subway, at church, during your kid's dance recitalwherever and whenever works for you.
Some people have an ego that weighs 10 tons. Could you imagine your head weighing that much? Why carry all that weight around? One wrong step and you're on your back, squirming like a turtle.
Stuff to Look For in Each Chapter
Each chapter opens in the same way: with a rundown of what the chapter covers and a table of contents for the chapter. If you wanna skip ahead to different parts (or skip the entire chapter), go for it. The chapters themselves have lots of visual contentsidebars, notes, tips, and fun stuff all jammed in. One thing to watch out for is a recurring sidebar called Just the Gist. Just the Gist summarizes each chapter's material in a bulleted format, giving you just the main points. Use this sidebar as a reference to find the info you want on a particular topic.
Mark my words: With this book, you don't have to feel tied downmake every day your own personal casual Friday!
Just Three Icons to Remember
I remember thumbing through a book at a local computer training center. In the front was a full page describing all the icons used throughout the manual. There were tons. I should have done an official count, but there had to be at least 15 icons. A lot of them were the old standards. You know them: the light bulb, the graduation cap, the exclamation point, and so on. How original. Others were ridiculously complicated. A stopwatch beside a bomb, a happy face with a paintbrush, a box with an arrow going into it. So not only were readers faced with learning a new program, but they also had to memorize a bunch of goofy icons, too. Ten Ton keeps things easy and simple. Even though there's a lot of visual content here, there are actually only three regularly occurring icons to remember: Imminent Doom, a.k.a. The Skull and Crossbones. The deal: If something's gonna blow up, destroy your hard drive, or crash and burn all your hard work in a fiery heap, I'm gonna let you know ahead of time. Not so much so you can mentally prepare yourself, but so you can avoid it! Noteworthy, a.k.a. The Dagger and Note. The deal: If there's some detail that's interesting, factual, or important, I'll highlight it with one of these guys. This could be where you'll want to dog-ear a page or jot a note in the margin. Geek's Delight, a.k.a. The Geek. The deal: These icons point to information that, while technical and geeky, may be important to know. You'll see this icon when we're discussing why things work in certain ways or when you need to understand a particular component where a slightly tech-ishthough not too jargonydescription is necessary.
Other Things you can do with this Book
With so many possibilities, why limit yourself to just reading this book? Check out these crafty contraptions, or brainstorm your own! Whatcha Do | Recommendation |
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Turn the book into a helmet. Open the book at about the halfway point; then, using a belt or bailer twine, fashion a chin strap to fix the opened book on top of your head. Add a cool tinted visor for a techy sci-fi look, or perhaps a plume. | If you're about to get into a head-on collision with a block of JavaScript code, what could be better for cranial protection than this book atop your lid? | Make double-ply paper towel. Carefully cut out all the pages and staple them to each other in groups of two, thus forming the double-ply. Next, daisy-chain them all together at their edges, one after another. Packing tape should hold. Finally, roll up all the pages and place in a handy spot. | A great idea in theory, but it lacks practicality. Imagine this: You wipe out while transporting your sloppy joes to the TV tray. You grab your extra-strength Ten Ton paper towel and cleanup's a snap. But the next day, you find yourself stumped on the Property Inspectorand it just so happens that the section you wanted was the one you used to sucked up your slop. Now that's a mess! | Build a squadron of paper airplane bombers. Again, this project involves carefully cutting out all the pages in the book. Once all the pages have been freed from their binding, stack them neatly to one side. Take the first page off the top and let the origami fun begin. Make sure folds are crisp and tight, and leave room for cool lightning bolt insignia and shark teeth on the nose cone. | Very labor intensive, although if you put in the time, you'll have air superiority over your entire office. In addition to the time required to build up such a huge strike force though, casualties in your paper Luftwaffe mean a loss in Dreamweaver learning. Consider a fleet of paper cranes instead. | Create laminated placemats. Using a craft knife (get an adult to help), cut away the front cover of your book. Then head down to the local copy store and run off a few color sets, and have the clerk laminate them in the thickest gauge your pocketbook can handle. Arrange appropriately on the dining room table. Wait 'til grandma sees! | Anything that helps get Dreamweaver into dinner conversation is a good thing. Prove to Mom and Dad that you're doing something worthwhile! Not only that, but you can review your Dreamweaver material over your Cheerios in the morning. How can you beat that? | |
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