Web Design Series - Dreamweaver 8 And CS3: Should You Switch?
Upgrade to Dreamweaver CS3? Or stick with Dreamweaver 8? This is a question that many web designers who own Dreamweaver 8 are asking themselves as they consider whether it would be worth their money or their web design company?s money to upgrade their design software. Since it is your job as a web designer to work with the software in question, the onus of deciding whether the new version will improve service and overall work quality or not. Many web designers are also wary of the fact that Macromedia has been acquired by Adobe and are wondering whether the new owners have improved or destroyed this piece of software. It is my opinion that there is no clear choice between the two. The choice you eventually make must be determined by what you require from your design software.
Web design feature #1: Adobe and Dreamweaver Together
Some web design companies may find the integration between the new Dreamweaver software and existing Adobe tools a good enough reason to purchase the Dreamweaver CS3. Images can easily be transferred from one software to another and some designers find this feature very attractive.
Web design feature #2: CSS Support Made Better
Designers will likely find that one of the best new features of Dreamweaver CS3 are the fresh and improved CSS layouts. The software code contains detailed commentaries related to how these layouts function so understanding how to use them is a relatively simple affair. There are currently 32 different layouts to choose from, in 1, 2, or 3-column designs, and in fixed or liquid design layouts. The starting position of the CSS is easily defined and subsequent movement is also simple and easy. Designers can simply style the tag directly into the HTML through a style attribute, then transfer it to their style sheet. In Dreamweaver CS3, ?Convert Inline CSS to Rule? appears on a single right click of the tag and a custom class for that particular style or a full CSS selector is easily created.
Web design feature #3: Mobile Support
The incorporation of Adobe Device Central into Dreamweaver CS3 also makes designing pages for viewing on mobile platforms much easier than before. Although use of the mobile platform to view web pages has become increasingly popular, it was previously a rather challenging task to design pages that are compatible for viewing on both a mobile platform and a web browser one. Dreamweaver CS3 makes those challenges a thing of the past.
Web design feature #4: Ajax Implementation Now Made Possible
Adding Ajax widgets and effects to the web pages that you create is now possible through the incorporation of the Spry framework in to Dreamweaver CS3. A simple drag and drop operation will deposit them into your dataset. Transition effects such as shrinking, growing, highlighting and fading, integration of XML feed data and widgets for tables lists and forms are just some of the features of Spry that have been included in Dreamweaver CS3.
Web design feature #5: XLST Support
XLST support is a major feature of CS3 and both you and your design company will be delighted by the support included through the use of XML files as the database source. Viewing of the XML and integration into any HTML documents are made easy through XLST. Web designers who possess XML files of the same format can easily create a single template for them by using XLST.
Web design feature #6: Support for Mac Intel Processors
CS3 is now also native to the Intel-based Macintosh platform, and load times have been significantly reduced. The company behind CS3 claims that, whereas Dreamweaver 8 previously required four minutes to load, CS3 now accomplishes the same feat in under one minute. However, these claims have yet to be verified by proper testing.
To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade
The question does not have an easy answer. Personally, I chose to upgrade and have not looked back since. The new CSS features, XLST support and Device Central are all wonderful new additions to the software. However, live databases and server side scripts are still difficult to use with Dreamweaver CS3 and this may discourage web design companies from purchasing the software. If, at the end of it all, you choose to upgrade, it is unlikely that you will regret the money spent.
Moe Tamani is a search engine optimization specialist for SEO 1 Services specializing in Seo web design http://www.seo-1-marketing-services.com http://www.Brazenwebdesign.com http://www.internet-marketing-cafe.com
Related Articles:
Search Engine Optimization Book, Search Engine Visibility, Updates Expert Advice on Search Engine Friendly Web Design
New edition of Shari Thurow?s search engine optimization book says search engine friendly Web design is key to better search engine visibility.
Do You Want To Save Time With Your Web Design?
It starts off simply; a few HTML pages, a few hyperlinks, some affiliate links. Your mother is proud of her clever son.
ClariFI Partners with Boston Web Design to Launch New Web Presence
Boston Web Design, a Boston-based interactive marketing firm, today announced the launch of a redesigned website for ClariFI (www.clarifi.com), a leading provider of financial software and services focused on quantitative portfolio management and research.
E-commerce, CRM and Web Design Providers Leverage Live Chat
Velaro Inc., a leading provider of live help and live chat software, announced today the formal release of the Velaro Referral Partner Program.
Are You Being Scammed By Your Web Design Company?
This is a growing concern amongst many business owners. Does your web design company own you? This may be possible if you've allowed them to host your web site for you and also register your domain name for your company.
Web Design Companies - How To Choose The Right One For Your Business
Your website is your company's calling card on the internet so you need to have one you're proud of and does the job it's meant to, and offer pleasant viewing for your browsers which can only be achieved with quality web development. That means getting a professional web development company to develop your site and create web based solutions for your business. But before approaching a web design company, you should clarify your requirements. Here's how you do it.
Simplicity is the heart of effective web design
Simplicity is the heart of effective web design Keep it simple. Will ya? Have you ever wondered over the striking commonalities among some of the tremendously functional sites of our time? Just spare some thoughts on the features of sites like Cisco, Marshall , Dell, Amazon, etc., and the answer would not elude you.
Web Design - 7 Key Things to Avoid
A search for "web design" on Google returns more than 325 million results. So how do we start eliminating all these so called designers? Here are a few of the most common shortcomings.
Basic Web Design Principles
Home PageHome page should clearly indicate what the site is about. Provide top level navigation on the first page, your logo, and tell to the visitor what he can found on your web site.
The right web design look and feel ? Does it matter?
This might seem like an obvious statement. Of course the look and feel of my web site matters but how much does it actually matter and what can I do to improve my web design interface? Many companies are constantly tweaking their web site with a view to capturing the attention of potential customers. Although not all web sites are commercial in nature, the majority of web site owners are targeting potential customers with the ultimate aim of securing online leads and sales. Having a pretty web design is nice but it is no guarantee to converting visits into leads and sales. On what basis then should web designers set the look and feel of a web site and how are they monitoring the results of the web design look and feel on visitor?s behaviour...
Myclicks Team Expands SEO Web Design Service
As the Global downturn and US slowdown both rapidly gather pace, businesses are looking for ways to adopt the right new technologies whilst also reducing costs.
Bad Web Design: ActiveX
ActiveX uses an interesting method for enforcing security ..
Look Before You Leap - Options for Failing Web Design Firms
Web development firm Desiant offers to buy out the client list of defunct designers
Top 10 Question To Ask Before Starting Work On Web Design
Target Audience - Who is the target audience, means who will be his potential client? Who will be buying his product or services which he want to sell.
Cheap Web Design In London
Due to the large number of people offering web design services in London, there is always a bargain to be found.Website design firms in London are in a very competitive market and some offer some great deals at various times of the year.