Sebastopol, CA--Dedicated "To all who sleep, eat, and dream Dreamweaver" by coauthor Heather Williamson, Dreamweaver in a Nutshell (US $29.95), just published by O'Reilly & Associates, delivers exactly what web developers have been dreaming of: a compact and in-depth reference to this powerful, yet often under-utilized, program.
"Macromedia Dreamweaver is the dominant professional web development environment. Dreamweaver in a Nutshell will help both technical and non-technical web professionals get up to speed quickly so that they can use the tool either standalone or as part of a larger workgroup," notes coauthor Bruce Epstein. The book was inspired by "web developers ready to go beyond simple HTML editors to true site management," continues Epstein. "We target web masters, web page designers, and JavaScript programmers...and treat Dreamweaver users as intelligent, experienced web developers."
True to its "In a Nutshell" moniker, Dreamweaver in a Nutshell gives developers and designers quick reference both to advanced features as well as those used every day, providing expert guidance in the sometimes nightmarish tasks of creating complex web sites. With Dreamweaver, professional web developers can not only create web pages, but also manage complicated sites, whether they use HTML only, or server-side languages. While it focuses on Dreamweaver, the book also applies to Dreamweaver UltraDev.
Williamson's and Epstein's approach in the book assumes the reader has a knowledge of web page development--though not necessarily Dreamweaver--but they do not try to teach HTML or web design. Divided into five sections, Dreamweaver in a Nutshell moves smoothly between introducing readers to the core elements of web page creation, site and document management, JavaScript behaviors, through customizing and extending Dreamweaver for particular styles, and ending with an entire reference section. Tables, layers, frames, libraries, assets, history, roundtrip HTML, site checking, Fireworks integration, Dreamweaver 4 features, and modifications with XML are just a few of the features succinctly addressed. The authors not only provide pointers for success, but also alert readers to possible pitfalls throughout the book.
"With the growth of the Internet, the Web is going to be the single largest form of sharing information, doing research, and communicating with businesses, customers, friends...if it isn't already that," notes Williamson. "I wrote Dreamweaver in a Nutshell because in my opinion Dreamweaver is one of the best Website development packages available." Concludes Epstein, "Dreamweaver represents the intersection of visual web developers and hard-core web scripters and programmers. It will be a fertile ground for collaboration for many years to come."
What the critics are saying about Dreamweaver in a Nutshell:
"This well-organized reference covers all Dreamweaver features in a clear and concise manner. It will bring new users up to speed quickly and give power users new insights into Dreamweaver's most advanced features. This book is a must for all Dreamweaver users."
--Jay London, Dreamweaver Engineering Manager, Macromedia"Accessible and to the point, Dreamweaver in a Nutshell is an indispensable reference and offers new insight into the tools you thought you knew. If you use Dreamweaver, this is the one book you should keep close at hand."
--Simon Allardice, Dreamweaver and UltraDev Instructor, Lynda.com"Following the great tradition of the Nutshell series, Heather and Bruce have done an impressive job. The book offers detailed coverage of every Dreamweaver feature for novices, and it also acts as handy reference for even the most advanced users."
--Massimo Foti, Dreamweaver and UltraDev Developer, massimocorner.com
Online Resources:
An article by coauthor Bruce Epstein, Dreamweaver: A Visual Tool for Serious Web Coders
Chapter 6, Managing a Web Site, is available free online.
More information about the book, including Table of Contents, index, author biography, and samples.
A cover graphic in jpeg format.
Dreamweaver in
a Nutshell
By Heather Williamson & Bruce Epstein
November 2001
ISBN 0-596-00239-4, 441 pages, $29.95 (US)
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1-800-998-9938
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