DREAMWEAVER CS3 - The Missing Manual

A SCUG Review - by Gregory West, Sarnia Computer Users' Group - www.scug.ca
DREAMWEAVER CS3 - The Missing Manual
Author: David Sawyer McFarland
Published: 2007
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-596--51043-5
Pages: 995
US $44.99 CAN $58.99

Anyone who has ever tackled the web creation software program Dreamweaver CS3 knows all-toowell of its massive complexity. From absolute divs to CSS, FLASH and other multimedia, HTML and XHTML, Java Script coding, to the all-new SPRY widgets by Adobe, you are taken on a real adventure of what Dreamweaver CS3 has to offer in this, the "missing manual".

McFarland states that this book "should have been in the box" and this is so true. This book is an excellent, easy-to-follow guide that takes you from simple to way beyond in website design creation and tricks and tips. You get to test-drive the software with the help of this book. The author demonstrates this concept right at the beginning on page thirty-eight wherein he points out that "Many of this book's chapters, therefore, conclude with hands-on training: step-by-step tutorials that take you through the creation of a real, working, professionally designed Web site for a "fictional" magazine. This way you get a hands-on approach to web design.

Even if you are novice to web design, you can easily follow along with McFarland's simple instructions after each chapter.

This book is a work book. You design websites by tutorials. However, if you happen to be already accustomed to Adobe's Dreamweaver software, this book will act as an amazing reference guide to ensure that you utilize this software to its best capabilities.

You are always kept abreast with the many screen shots throughout, and "Tip" boxes to keep you going in the right direction. There is nothing worse than getting off track with a website from the onset. This book definitely helps you steer a course for success in web design and creation.' At the back of the book you will find an invaluable section called: Menu by Menu. Here is where each part of the menus is described and the functionality of each is given in plain language for everyone to understand. The file, edit, view, insert, modify, commands, menus and so many more are hear for very easy reference.

At the very end of the book is an in-depth, 24 page, Index ensuring you will not get lost. McFarland makes searching so simple, as did he make the entire book, simple yet very complex. It is an excellent companion to such an extensive and amazing web design program.

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