Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've been using the Dreamweaver CS4 beta for almost 5 months now and find that it fits my work style very nicely. There are some obvious changes like that it now looks more like Adobe's other programs. It's not so much the similarity of looks in the interface that helps as that the working panes and panels have been integrated into a working whole on the Mac in the same way as Windows. Since I use both platforms that's nice. Since the workspace is pretty customizable and since you can save your workspaces, I can imagine that experienced developers will end up having some pretty individualized views. I originally thought that it might take some time to learn the new workspace but it's so logically designed that it seems natural.
If you hand code at all you'll really appreciate the new features. Most of my design work now is focused around building themes and templates for Wordpress and Drupal. Before CS 4 I was hand coding the sites and only used Dreamweaver as a site management tool for static sites. That is to say, not that much. There are a few new features that have changed Dreamweaver from just another arrow in my quiver to my main go to program, Live View and Related files are the two that are getting the most press. They're great but there are some others.
Live View displays a real time look at how the page displays in a WebKit browser. Since Dreamweaver now supports side by side views, on a 20" or larger monitor that allows for simultaneous windows showing the code and the results. I love that.
What makes it even more useful is the Related Files feature. Click on a server side page, like a main CMS template file and Dreamweaver will automatically offer a set of tabs for related server side files, CSS or JavaScript. Click on the sidebar or footer files and the code view shows up. Make a change and Live View updates the preview. This works really well for multi file templates on blogs or content management systems. On the down side, Dreamweaver does not support Ruby or Python so you can't use it for frameworks like Ruby on Rails or Django. Though it does work with Cakewalk, a PHP framework. I don't use ASP or ASP.net so can't comment on those or on ColdFusion.
Dreamweaver also now supports syntax highlighting for major JavaScript frameworks. I mostly use jQuery, but MooTools, Scriptaculous and others are supported too. There are some more widgets for Adobe's framework, Spry if you want some built in Ajax.
The last feature that makes a difference for me is Code Navigator. Click on a page element and you can have the associated CSS rules pop up for editing. Brilliant. And the CSS wizards seem to have been updated, too. I find even the best wizard is slower than direct coding so haven't really given that part of the program a good look.
I've also found CS4 to be both a little faster and more stable than CS3 and that's in beta. Hopefully, when I get the boxed copy, I'll experience the same results.
If you use Dreamweaver for designing visually and stay away from working in code you may or may not find the new features quite as exciting as I do, though they aren't trivial. Live View is certainly nice and the improved CSS handling should make it easy to not design with tables. The expanded Spry functionality will make it easier to add Ajax widgets to a page.
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Build world-class websites and applications with one of the industry's leading web authoring tools. Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 software is ideal for web designers, web developers, and visual designers. Manipulate pixel-level designs in Design view, or craft complex code in Code view while working in the real browser environment of Live View.
Design, develop, and maintain standards-based websites and applications
An industry-leading tool Build world-class websites with one of the industry's leading web authoring tools. Manipulate pixel-level designs or craft complex code. Work the way you work best in the real-world environment of Live View.
Cross-product integration Leverage the intelligent integration and power of Dreamweaver CS4 and other Adobe tools, including Adobe Flash CS4 Professional, Fireworks CS4, Photoshop CS4, and Device Central CS4 software, through direct communication and interaction across the product line.
Comprehensive CSS support Style your sites with the enhanced CSS implementation tools in Dreamweaver CS4. Define and modify CSS rules instantly in the Properties panel. Use the Related Files and Code Navigator features tofind specific CSS rules.
Integrated coding Tap the power of built-in code hints for faster and cleaner coding in HTML; JavaScript; Ajax frameworks such as Spry, jQuery, and Prototype; and several server languages.
Support for leading technologies Design and code in a tool that supports most of the leading web development technologies, including HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript, Ajax, PHP, Adobe ColdFusion software, and ASP.
FLV support Integrate FLV files into any web page with point-and-click ease and standards-compliant coding. Design with your FLV movies playing in the new Live View.
Learning resources Master web building with the comprehensive in-product tutorials in Dreamweaver CS4. Keep current with the latest web technologies through the community-driven help system.
Extended Dreamweaver community Reap the benefits of the extensive Dreamweaver community, including the online Adobe Design Center and Adobe Developer Connection, training and seminars, developer certification programs, and user forums.
Cross-platform support Work the way you want to work: Dreamweaver CS4 is available for Intel or PowerPC based Macs as well as Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista systems. Design in your preferred system, and deliver across platforms.
Advanced JavaScript functionality Put the extended coding functionality of Dreamweaver CS4 to work by incorporating popular JavaScript frameworks, including jQuery, Prototype, and Spry. Simply attach the appropriate JavaScript external files, and Dreamweaver automatically displays code hints.
Top new features of Dreamweaver CS4Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 extends the reach of professional coders, designers, and developers with a full complement of new features.
Live ViewView your web pages under real-world browser conditions with the new Live View--while still retaining direct access to the code. This new rendering mode, which uses the open source rendering engine WebKit, displays your designs like a standards-based browser. Changes to the code are immediately reflected in the rendered display.
However, Live View is no ordinary static viewport. Trigger your CSS-based navigation to view hover states or pull-down submenus, and freeze your page at any point to review the generated code. Dreamweaver CS4 combines the beauty of real-world rendering with the brains of interactive coding.
Related Files and Code NavigatorDreamweaver CS4 introduces two new features that will help you more efficiently manage the various files that make up the modern web page. The Related Files feature displays all the documents associated with your current page--whether CSS, JavaScript, PHP or XML--in a bar along the top of your primary document. Click any related file to edit its source in Code View while viewing the parent page in Design View. Changes made to the related file code are immediately reflected in Design View.
Prefer to work at the code level? The new Code Navigator pop-up window shows you links to all the code sources that affect your current selection. A click in either Code or Design View brings up the Code Navigator, which displays CSS rules, server-side includes, external JavaScript functions, Dreamweaver templates, Library files, iframe source files, and more.
CSS best practicesImplement CSS best practices without writing code. The new CSS tab in the Properties panel shows the styles for the current selection as well as all the applicable CSS rules. Hover over any property to view a tool tip with no-jargon English explanations of CSS principles. New CSS rules can be created and applied in the Properties panel and stored in the same document or an external style sheet. Dreamweaver CS4 even gives you control over the specificity of your rule: Just click Less Specific or More Specific in the updated New CSS Rule dialog box to target your style precisely.
Code hinting for Ajax and JavaScript frameworksWrite JavaScript more quickly and accurately with improved support for JavaScript core objects and primitive data types. Advanced code-hinting functionality helps you power through your code, whether you're adding functions to defined primitive data types (including Object, Array, Number, RegExp, or String) or DOM objects such as Window, Screen, Document, or Event. Dreamweaver CS4 also extends code-hinting muscle to your most advanced custom functions with support for parameters, class constructors, and nested objects, updated in real time as you modify your related JavaScript files.
Put the extended coding functionality of Dreamweaver CS4 to work by incorporating popular JavaScript frameworks including jQuery, Prototype, and Spry. Simply attach the appropriate external JavaScript files, and Dreamweaver automatically displays code hints on demand. Built-in syntax error detection helps you craft the bulletproof code you need--the first time, and every time.
Adobe InContext EditingEnable content authors to edit their own web pages without additional software installations--and, at the same time, free yourself up to design more. The new online InContext Editing service from Adobe lets anyone who can use a browser update content quickly and easily. Design your editable pages in Dreamweaver CS4 to retain total control over the look and feel of your sites. Then, simply designate the parts of the page you want your clients to be able to change; all other sections of the page are locked, and editable only by you. Easily set CSS styles to ensure entered content is properly and consistently formatted. Dreamweaver gives you the tools to create the perfect website, and hosted InContext Editing lets your clients keep that site up-to-date. (InContext Editing is one of several online services available from Dreamweaver CS4. For more information, see Creative Pro Online Services on page 7.)
HTML data setsThe lure of dynamic data is strong, but learning to use databases or XML can be daunting. Dreamweaver CS4 combines accessibility with ease of use in the new HTML data sets feature. With HTML data sets functionality, you create your data in a standard HTML table, a series of div tags, or even an unordered list, and then choose Insert > Spry > Spry Data Set to integrate that data into a dynamic table on the page, complete with sortable columns, a master-detail layout, or other sophisticated displays. It's easier than ever, with real-time previews of your data--both for selection and results. Spry Data Set also works with XML files to render information from RSS feeds and other sources.
Photoshop Smart ObjectsIntegration between Photoshop and Dreamweaver has evolved to the next level of compatibility and functionality. Simply drag and drop a Photoshop PSD file into a Dreamweaver CS4 page to create an image Smart Object. Unlike standard web-page graphics, a Smart Object is tightly linked to its source file. A small indicator on the Smart Object in Dreamweaver CS4 shows when the source and instance are in sync. When you make any changes to the source image, Dreamweaver notes that the files are out of sync; just click the Update from Original icon in the Properties panel to immediately update your image without opening Photoshop.
But Smart Objects are more clever still. Let's say you have a logo placed throughout your site in a variety of sizes as Smart Objects. Any updates made to the Photoshop file can be applied individually to the associated Smart Objects on a page-by-page basis, or to all of them at once through the Assets panel. Unique sizes are maintained while the image itself is faithfully resampled. Best of all, the Smart Object evolution is built on top of current Photoshop and Dreamweaver integration, so you can still copy image selections from Photoshop and paste them in Dreamweaver for an easy comp-to-layout workflow. Moreover, you're free to rescale Photoshop images in Dreamweaver to fine-tune your design with no image degradation or revisits to Photoshop.
Subversion integrationWhen a collaborative project requires a team of designers and developers, open-source Subversion software is often used to handle version control. Dreamweaver CS4 integrates Subversion for a more robust check-in/check-out experience with file versioning, rollback, and more. Once you've defined Subversion as your version-control system, you can update your site to get the latest versions of its pages. Modified pages can be checked into a Subversion repository directly from within Dreamweaver--no third-party utility or command line interface is required. Dreamweaver can also revert checked-out files or mark conflicts as resolved to complete the team site-building experience.
Adobe AIR authoring supportCreate multi-platform desktop applications from your Dreamweaver HTML and JavaScript sites with new Adobe AIR authoring support. Download and install the latest version of the Adobe AIR Extension for Dreamweaver to begin creating engaging, branded applications that run on all major desktop operating systems using your existing web development resources with Adobe AIR. For a streamlined workflow, you can repurpose your existing assets into Adobe AIR desktop applications without leaving Dreamweaver. Preview your Adobe AIR applications within Dreamweaver CS4 to make sure everything is working as designed. When you're ready, prepare your application for deployment with Adobe AIR packaging and code-signing features. Dreamweaver also serves as an Adobe AIR development platform for custom applications. Adobe AIR applications run online or off--they can even be used to access a persistent data source populated from your database.
New user interfaceWork faster and smarter across Dreamweaver CS4 and other components of Creative Suite 4, thanks to a new level of integration and common user-interface elements. A common interface means a more natural process as you move from Photoshop or Fireworks to Flash to Dreamweaver. Stack or minimize your docked panels to maximize your visual or coding environment; click once to pull out a panel and expose desired properties, and then click again to put it away. Work in new Split Code View to display your code in two different sections simultaneously, or choose the new Horizontal Split View option for a different perspective. Quickly move from one layout organization to another with the Workspace pull-down list. You can choose from a series of predesigned layouts--like those for application coders or designers--or create your own custom work environments for the ultimate in personalized workspaces.
Creative Pro Online ServicesConnect to the power of the online community through your creative desktop. New online services accessed from within Dreamweaver CS4 let you search for help from the online community; share your screen with colleagues or clients in a few quick clicks; more easily and efficiently manage day-to-day web content updates; and more. With new online services in Creative Suite 4, you can take your ideas to the next level.
Adobe Community Help Get the power of an online search engine within your Creative Suite 4 software, but with more targeted results thanks to Adobe Community Help. Searchable content includes the in-depth product-specific Help that Adobe has always delivered, plus additional Adobe and third-party content chosen by experts at Adobe and in the design and production communities. With Adobe Community Help, you can find the focused answers you need, fast. (Internet connection required for extended content.)
Acrobat.com Acrobat.com is a set of online services--file sharing and storage, PDF converter, online word processor, and web conferencing--that you can use to create and share documents, communicate in real time, and simplify working with others. Thanks to the connection between one of the Acrobat.com services, Adobe ConnectNow, and Dreamweaver CS4, you can meet live over the web to share your screen, present creative concepts and ideas, and brainstorm with up to two online guests for no additional service charge. To share your screen with colleagues and clients, choose File > Share My Screen. Guests can then see your desktop on their screens as you work. You can exchange ideas using the chat pod, add a live video or audio feed, or use the Whiteboard feature to enable guests to comment on content. You can even temporarily hand over control of the screen to a guest to collaborate on a file. Additional Acrobat.com services, such as Share, Create PDF, My Files, and Adobe Buzzword, are accessible via your web browser. (Internet connection required.)
InContext Editing Make your web page content available for online editing by others when you use InContext Editing. Offer your colleagues, clients or end users an easier way to make simple edits without impacting the design integrity of your web pages--and without help from you or additional software on their computers. Use the InContext Editing toolbar in Dreamweaver to set up your web pages, and then use the preview of this online service to enable content changes by others. (This service will be available as a preview technology, and accessible from within Adobe Dreamworks CS4. During this preview, you can use it at no additional charge. Further availability information will be posted to www.adobe.com/dreamweaver when appropriate. Internet connection required).
Adobe Bridge Home Visit Adobe Bridge Home--an online channel available in Adobe Bridge CS4--and stay up to date with what's new from Adobe and the design, web development, and video and audio production communities at large. Watch the latest video tutorials for your Creative Suite 4 software, listen to a podcast interview with a leading designer, or learn about the next training event in your community. Discover tips and resources that can help you work smarter and faster, making the most of Dreamweaver CS4. (Internet connection required.)
Part of the Adobe Creative Suite 4 familyAdobe tightly integrates Dreamweaver into the full range of Creative Suite 4 solutions for print, production and, of course, web. Shared user-interface elements like collapsible panels facilitate moving from one Creative Suite component to another.
For a complete Dreamweaver web-centric solution, turn to Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium or Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Standard software. Web Standard brings you the basic functionality you'll need to produce exemplary websites, while Web Premium adds Photoshop CS4 Extended, Illustrator CS4, and Acrobat 9 Pro software to further fuel your creative ambitions. If you're looking for a a full cross-media solution to take content fromprint to web to device, get Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, which features InDesign CS4 in addition to Photoshop CS4 Extended, Illustrator CS4 and Dreamweaver CS4 among other components. Dreamweaver is also a component of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection software--the ultimate bundle of creative tools.
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