Datasheet

For everything in between, Dreamweaver is the clear choice among profes-

sional Web designers as well as among a growing number of people who want

to build sites for their hobbies, clubs, families, and small businesses.

But before we dive into the details about how you create a Web page in

Dreamweaver, I think it’s helpful to start by introducing the many ways you

can create a Web site. The more you understand about the various approaches

to Web design, the better you can appreciate your options.

Comparing Web Designs

Throughout this book, you find chapters covering a variety of aspects of Web

design, from the basics of creating a page and adding images and links to more

complex concepts such as creating rollover effects and pop-up windows with

Dreamweaver’s behaviors, which use JavaScript to create advanced interac-

tive features.

You also find a few chapters that explore different page layout techniques.

You can create Web designs using HTML tables, frames, or Cascading Style

Sheets. You can even use these different technologies in combination. The

next few sections are designed to help you understand the differences in

these approaches before you decide which one is best for your Web site.

Appreciating the advantages of CSS

Today, the W3C, which sets standards for the Internet, recommends CSS for

nearly every aspect of Web design. That’s because the best CSS designs are

accessible, flexible, and adaptable. Also, the fact that they follow standards

has become increasingly important over the years.

If everyone who designed Web sites and everyone who created the browsers

that displayed them followed the same standards, we’d have a much better

Internet today. Unfortunately, over the years Web technology has evolved

but Web browsers haven’t always displayed the features of Web sites in the

same way. As a result, the same Web page can look quite different from one

browser to another, especially in older browsers. (You find more about

browser differences and testing your designs in Chapter 4.)

Today, there is a growing movement among some of the best designers in the

world to get everyone to follow the same standards, create Web sites with

CSS, and make sure they are accessible to everyone.

Part I: Creating Great Web Sites

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