The Bottom Line
- CSS is even easier to use
- Defaults to XHTML rather than older standards
- Much more integration with Flash and Fireworks
- Very complex, hard for novices to get used to
- Price can be high for amateur developers
Description
- New features of CSS development make it much easier to see where an element starts and ends.
- XML support is much more robust, with visual design capabilities.
- Incorporate Flash movies with improved workflow between Flash and Dreamweaver.
- All the features of previous Dreamweaver versions.
- Dreamweaver extensions and add-ins make the product even more valuable.
- Zoom in on page designs for greater control and accuracy.
- Code toolbar adds code commands directly where you want them, in code-view.
- Apply source formatting straight from MS Word for faster copy/paste operations.
- Supports dynamic server technology like JSP, PHP, ASP, and ColdFusion.
Guide Review - Macromedia Dreamweaver 8
Professional Web designers and developers need look no further to find the perfect Web authoring tool. Dreamweaver 8 offers support for modern browsers and standards and makes it easy for you to get your site up to speed with those technologies. In fact, the biggest drawback to Dreamweaver 8 is that it is so complex that amateur Web designers will find it overwhelming. There is a lot to learn and use in Dreamweaver 8 and unless you're willing to take the time, it can be a steep learning curve.
Dreamweaver continues to produce good clean XHTML code without a lot of extraneous tags and special codes. In code-view, Dreamweaver offers color-coding and code formatting similar to the Code Sweeper in Homesite. In design-view, Dreamweaver provides more visual cues for layout and design elements so that CSS is easier to review and update quickly.
If you are an amateur Web designer who has never used Dreamweaver before, you might want to get another software package such as FrontPage or Namo Web Editor. But if you're looking to move into a professional space or have used Dreamweaver in the past, you'll be thrilled with the improvements and won't be upset with the new additions.
