Joy Of Code - Web Design Training and Consulting
Joy Gems Newsletter

What's To Learn?

By Bud Kraus
bud@joyofcode.com
Joy Of Code
Creator And Instructor

v3 i14
Originally Published: September 9, 2007

At the risk of offending JG Readers who love and effectively use at least half of Dreamweaver's capabilities, here goes.

As a Web Design Instructor the question I hear most often is, "Should I take a class on Dreamweaver or should I take a 'coding class' like your Joy Of Code: Introduction To xHTML And CSS. I tell them they need both but here's the thing you DW lovers out there will not like to here.

Dreamweaver? What's to learn?

I'm quite serious.

Don't say I didn't warn you, but let's face reality. What is the most important thing you need to learn to work with DW? How to insert a table? How to check spelling? How to insert an image? How to use the behaviors property panel? How to make a template or library item?

You get my point. The answer to all of the above questions is NO.

Ok, maybe I'm being a tad bit glib here. There is a wide array of more advanced DW functions - how to make an editable template, create and use library items, upload and download files, to name a few - for which instruction might be the way to go.

However, at the end of the day is the need to know XHTML and CSS code likely to change? Will DW, in future versions, prohibit your ability to edit source code? Is drag, drop and insert the way DW is heading? Not likely. True, Adobe already has a product called Contribute ("Dreamweaver For Dummies") that does not allow the author/designer to touch code. There certainly is a market for it, but for those of us, dear Joy Gems Readers, who need to get at the innards of web page design, that will not do.

So I return to my initial premise. When it comes to using DW, what's the most important thing you need to know? What is there to learn?

XHTML and CSS

That's what I teach!!