CSS is a considerably more complex technology than HTML and using CSS to control the layout of your pages requires experience. Fortunately for us, Dreamweaver contains a wide variety of CSS layouts which can be used for creating both individual pages and also templates which can then be used to generate multiple pages.

To use Dreamweaver’s CSS layouts, simply choose New from the File menu. The New Document window shows you all the different types of web page that Dreamweaver is capable of creating. These are arranged in categories and the preset CSS layouts are available both in the Blank Page and Blank Template categories.

If you choose the option “None” in the Layout column, no CSS file will be created; Dreamweaver will simply give you a blank HTML or XHTML page. Clicking on the name of each of the preset layouts displays a preview on the right. This gives you a rough idea of what the layout will look like. There are three column, two column and single column layouts available. These layouts use certain jargon that you may find confusing such as elastic, fixed liquid and hybrid. We will discuss these terms in another tutorial. At the moment, we are just concerned with creating an HTML page which is driven by one of Dreamweaver’s CSS layouts.

Having chosen a CSS layout, before clicking on the “Create” button you need to specify the manner in which the CSS code will be linked to the HTML document. Next to the option labelled “Layout CSS” is a drop-down menu containing three options: “Add to Head” will place all of the CSS code inside the HTML document in the head section; as the name suggests, “Add to New File”, will create a new external CSS file containing all the necessary code; “Link to Existing File” will put the CSS code in an existing CSS file you designate. The final option is useful if you are adding the page to an existing site that already has a CSS file which you want to continue using.

As a general rule of thumb, it is usually preferable to place the CSS in an external file since this offers you greater flexibility in reusing the CSS rules contained in the file. If you don’t have an existing CSS file, you should choose “Create New File” and then click the Create button. Dreamweaver will prompt you to select a location for the CSS file and will suggest a name, such as ” twoColElsLtHdr.css”. Feel free to enter a more meaningful name. When you click on the Save button, Dreamweaver will generate both the HTML and CSS pages.

When it comes to learning computer software, people tend to be more receptive to interactive training methods and ways of doing things. Bearing this in mind, imagine trying to read a whole book on how to use Adobe Dreamweaver. Now imagine trying to remember all that you read in the book and not having to cross-reference it multiple times while using the program. The good news is there is a better way than textbook education for programs like Adobe Dreamweaver. Better results have been recorded through video training programs that offer interactive training and hands-on learning for teaching Adobe Dreamweaver techniques to people.

Adobe Dreamweaver training software can be a great asset to your business or your personal knowledge. It doesn’t matter if you’re learning how to use Dreamweaver for school, personal use, or for your professional career. Everyone has a more fun, more productive time with learning the program through interactive training. This is because interactive programs allow you to see firsthand what you’ll experience when you use the program. You can check out all of the different elements and get a walkthrough of each different area of the software, which will be much more useful than any textbook information.

Interactive videos can make learning Adobe Dreamweaver a much more pleasant experience for you, your employees, or your students. There are so many ways of using Dreamweaver that the types of users that benefit from interactive video training are seemingly endless. You may be a professional web designer looking to add to your resume, or you may just be someone who wants to build a website with a really cool program. Adobe Dreamweaver can be learned and used by anyone, for any reason, as long as they have the right training. Hands-on learning is always going to be much more effective, though, because you can see and experience the product first-hand. This means you’ll know better what you’re doing when it is time to use the program yourself.

We all learn a lot better by example than we do by simply being given information. For years, it has been a proven fact with children and adults alike, that learning is simply more easy when the information is shown rather than told. It doesn’t matter if you’re learning the software for business or pleasure. If you want to make the most of Adobe Dreamweaver, you need to take the time to experience interactive software training instead of just reading books. The results you obtain will be much better, and you will become a better user in the end.

If you offer web design and programming services to different people and companies, it’s important for you to know how to use the whole arsenal of tools that exist for you to make the most of your career. That includes understanding and using Adobe Dreamweaver, which is a great tool that allows you to edit and create webpages and also includes and HTML editor, which is a popular form of internet code. Familiarity with these tools will be essential to your success. Learning through a textbook won’t be very productive to your learning needs. You’ll often find yourself referring to the book to make decisions, and to understand how and why you do certain things.

Opting for Adobe Dreamweaver training CDs can be a much better option when you need to learn to use the program. Interactive tutorial software will allow you to get a hands-on feel for the product, and also see what it has to offer, so that you can make the most of your experience. By seeing what a demonstration of what you’re supposed to do rather than reading about it, your brain will make the connection much more quickly. People always seem to learn better by seeing something first hand. This is why we teach kids the way that we do, with examples and experiences, rather than with textbooks without proof. To learn by example is part of human nature. If your brain can connect a given task or operation with images of how it was taught, it will work much better than trying to memorize instructions and textbook information.

Adobe Dreamweaver training doesn’t take very long and having it as a skill in your resume can give you a better opportunity for jobs and clients. Many people feel safer having webpages designed in a program like Dreamweaver because it’s a popular program, and one that they can relate to. As an independent contractor in the web design and programming industry, you owe it to yourself to know how to use this program. Your odds of learning will be much better with training software, though, so keep that in mind. Even though a book might be cheaper or seem to be less time consuming, you’ll actually spend more time learning because you have to memorize information without seeing it first hand.

If you’re an independent contractor and in need of Adobe Dreamweaver training, you should check out training software that is available before you make any decisions. Even if you think learning from a book will be okay, once you see the hands-on interface of the training software, you might change your mind.

A textbook can supply you with all of the HTML codes that you might need for web design. It can list every possible command that you could execute in a program like Adobe Dreamweaver. It can even help you to get an understanding of the different parts of the program by definition. However, it will never teach you to use the program properly. What you need is a training program that offers a hands-on solution, allowing you to learn by example and through experience, rather than by merely reading and memorizing information, commands, and codes. Books are only useful if they are combined with adequate training and actual hands-on experience. In and of themselves, they are practically useless for learning how to use computer programs.

Adobe Dreamweaver training will allow you to see things firsthand. This will let your brain make a much better connection between the program’s commands and what they do than a list of definitions ever will. Interactive training adds that element of seeing and doing at the same time, which can make you a better web designer. Dreamweaver training video tutorials, for example, can show you a real person using the actual program you’re trying to learn, making the association between knowing and doing much easier than a textbook ever could. Also, you can look for courses that offer tutorials and one-on-one interaction, which can give you another level of understanding and assistance in learning the product.

Whether you’re a professional designer or just learning Dreamweaver for fun, training software for Adobe Dreamweaver will prove to teach you much, much more than a book ever could. Even if you just need to know the basics, you can learn them quickly, and get on to designing your webpages, and spend less time trying to memorize facts and lists of commands that might not be very useful to you until you make the connection. Our brains tend to like pictures and examples better than useless, memorized information, so give it what it wants, and you’ll learn that much faster.

Computers have given us a whole new world to work with. Using training software to learn the proper operation of programs is not a new concept. People have been doing hands-on learning with computer software for many years, and it makes the process much easier for everyone involved. If you want the best, quickest chance of learning and enjoying the web design process, you need to get involved with the training software and forget about the books.

There are many reasons to consider Adobe Dreamweaver training courses. Obviously, if you’re looking to learn to use Adobe Dreamweaver software, you’ll want to check out some form of training. There are many different benefits that tutor-led classes can offer you, and the most important consideration is that they can do help you get to grips with the software a lot more quickly. Training courses can significantly accelerate your mastery of software because your brain is being stimulated and interacted with, rather than just scanning information in a book and being expected to remember it. Some other benefits of Adobe Dreamweaver training courses include:

1. Better chance at having fewer problems using the software, because you’ll know where everything is.

2. More time enjoying web design because the training was quick and efficient.

3. More experience with the program, because all training is done hands-on style.

4. Less checking information or referencing like you would do with a text book, because your brain remembers more.

5. Less checking information or referencing like you would do with a text book, because your brain remembers more.

6. Faster learning, because your brain will make connections much faster with interactive videos and tutorials than it might have otherwise.

It has been proven that hands-on learning is more effective than just reading and memorizing facts, definitions, and information. It doesn’t matter if you are teaching a 50-year-old or a five-year-old. Interactive Adobe Dreamweaver training has something for all types of learner, and is simple enough for even the most raw novice to understand. All you need to do is set aside the time to learn, which won’t take long with the interactive Dreamweaver training. Books may be cheaper, they may seem easier, or you may think it’s your only option. Books will teach you lots of facts about the program. Interactive Adobe Dreamweaver training will teach you how to use the program.

If you want to completely understand Adobe Dreamweaver and still have no idea how to use it, get yourself a textbook. However, if you actually want to learn how to use the program, a training course will be your best bet. You’ll learn more, you’ll learn faster, and you’ll have hands-on experience that you won’t find anywhere else. Before you go spending a ton of money on books that you really don’t need, give your brain a chance to take a training course, and see if you don’t learn things in a better way. Chances are, you’ll be successful, and you’ll see much better results than if you had bought the books.

The Corporate Takeover of the Motorcycle Club World

Everyone who has been reading any of what I have been writing over the past few years, Knows I fight for Bikers Rights , Safety and Unity. In the past few months my big concern has been the new Biker Movies and TV shows coming out like “Hell Ride” and “Sons of Anarchy” I knew these shows would have people wanting to join Motorcycle Clubs for all the wrong reasons! One thing I know will happen is many people will go out and put patches on there backs and think they are now a Motorcycle Club and start acting the way they saw the Clubs in the Movies act. As I have stated in other articles, most Clubs for many years have been working for the betterment and unity of the Motorcycle Club world. Most Motorcycle Club’s want to put the Hollywood Biker Gang image way behind them. They want to focus on the Brotherhood that is the heart of all Motorcycle Clubs.

Many Clubs make good money selling their Support Shirts and gear. Over the past few years I have seen a lot of large chain department stores selling T-shirts that are Dangerously Close to the Colors/Patches of Some of the worlds Major Clubs. It does not take much for one to assume these Stores know what they are doing and they just do not care about the people who buy these shirts or any of us in the biker world, All they care about is the cash flow! When Motorcycle Clubs contact these stores about copyright infringement the response from most if not all of these companies to the clubs is one of you don’t count or matter! When I see a person who knows nothing about the biker world wearing one of these shirts I understand that person just does not know better, But when I see a person who is a biker wearing one of these shirts I let him know “He is selling us all out ” There are too many who use the excuse they are only weekend warriors! I understand cash runs the world so these companies are going to try to skate the line by changing these shirts just enough so they can’t be sued under copyright laws and all the wannabe bikers will buy these shirts and wear them! In my opinion it is a big FU to every biker out there!

Well as if those shirts where not bad enough I was recently informed of a jean company who has come out with T-shirts that are Motorcycle Club Member T-shirts of Fictional Motorcycle Clubs ! Go to the websites emoda.com/item.asp?prodid=129470 and emoda.com/item.asp?prodid=129464 to see these shirts. Anyone from the new rider to the old time Club Member who saw a person wearing one of these shirts could easily think that person is a member of a real Motorcycle Club . These Shirts are made by some A-hole corporate guy, who probably does not care what they are doing ! The shirts go for around $52-$65 ! For $20 you can go out and buy a real Motorcycle Clubs Support shirt and Support the Biker World. The final insult to all in the Biker world is on the left sleeve there is a Diamond, this leads me to believe that the Manufacturers of these shirts knows at least a little bit about what they are doing. From the pictures I can not see if it says 1% inside the Diamond, But even if it doesn’t it can be mistaken for one. The 1% Diamond is supposed to mean you are part of an elite Motorcycle Club the best of the best, and if you are wearing the shirt of a fictional Motorcycle Club that you paid $60 for, Well then you do not even rank as high as a wannabe Biker in my Book!

Motorcycle Clubs don’t always get along, But we all have always taken great pride in what we are and what we stand for! The true Bikers are the ones who know what “Freedom” really is! We are the ones who feel it for the rest of the world every time one of our rights gets taken away. The mass population walks around with their head up their butt not caring about the things they are no longer allowed to do!

My one concern, I don’t want to promote these shirt, If you respect anything about the Biker world not only will you not buy these shirts you will speak out and let those who make these shirts know you think this is an insult! When you are at a store and you see a biker looking shirt that looks like the patch of a Motorcycle Club you will speak out, Even if its a club you are not a fan of, It is still an insult to all Clubs and all true Bikers! I remember hearing as a child that all Bikers where “Brothers in the wind” No matter what they ride. I always figured that even if you did not like your Brother you would always fight along side him when he was under attack! I feel this is an attack on all of us at the very heart of what we are ! So I am asking those out there that came before for me, what they think and what do we do next ?

I am Your Bro L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com

Web development students that are just starting out often overlook the usage of comments in PHP. It’s rather unfortunate, since using comments actually saves more time in the long run, although new students only see the short-term benefits and thus don’t make use of them. Such students should take heed to this advice, since it’s often even required my employers.

The reason comments are so handy is because they are only viewed by those looking at the source code of the original file- not the viewer of the website. Best yet, they aren’t even visible to those who try to view the source code of the website, since PHP code is hidden from the browser when being properly used.

It’s often a better idea to use PHP comments in place of others such as HTML comments, since PHP comments will never be seen by the end user if the script is running correctly. This simple fact will help safeguard against others stealing source code, ideas, or principles from an application.

Comments are created with three different calls. For comments that span two or more lines, we have to use “/*” and “*/” - and “#” or “//” for single line comments. Comments in PHP can actually be placed directly after real PHP code, above it, or below it. This leaves a lot of creativity in how developers document their code according to their style and tastes.

Unbeknown to most, PHP comments can also be used for more practical scenarios, such as troubleshooting. Expert programmers will find they have a problem with their application, and comment out different blocks of code to see what is causing the error. While it is usually in new code blocks, this method will indeed show that sometimes the problem is due to program code interacting wrong, which can in effect mean the problem is anywhere in the application.

Commenting in PHP is also great to use in selection structures, since PHP has long been known as a hard to scale language. Once files start getting big, it can be dizzying to try and remember which loops and selection structures go where, and what they do. By commenting out every closing bracket, and what it is in relation to, the problem is easily fixed. This is often mandatory for programmers who work for employers.

Final Thoughts

PHP Comments are quite handy as we can see, more so than most would think. From troubleshooting to simple documentation, the three methods of commenting have a lot of use to the proper programmer. For more information on comments in PHP, and in other languages, check out more books, articles, and magazines for a more detailed guide in using them effectively.

HTML is a simple markup language used to create documents designed to be accessed across the World Wide Web using browser software such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. The current version of HTML is known as XHTML, a stricter, rationalised version of the original HTML specification. One key fact to note about HTML and XHTML pages is that they describe the content and structure of the page rather than the position and presentation of the elements on the page.

The first difference between an HTML and an XHTML page is the document type definition. There are a variety of ways in which this specification can be made in Dreamweaver. One of the easiest is to go to the Modify menu and choose Page Properties. Here, in the Title/Encoding section, one of the options reads Document Type (DTD).

There are quite a few options available in the drop-down menu next to this setting, some relating to HTML version 4 and some to XHTML version 1. These DTD settings specify the rules that the mark-up language must follow so that the browsers can render the content correctly. For any new content you may be creating, the best specification to choose is XHTML 1.0 transitional since it uses the current XHTML specification while allowing backward compatibility with slightly older browsers.

When looking at an HTML page, the structural content may not always be that obvious. However Dreamweaver provides a number of useful utilities for keeping tabs on the structure of your web page content. One of the most useful is the Tag Selector. Wherever you position the cursor, the HTML code relating to that part of the page is displayed in the bottom left of the page on the Status Bar in an area known as the Tag Selector.

When the browser reads the page, the tags surrounding text and other elements communicate to the browser the structural importance of each element. Thus, for example, the H1 tag tells the browser that a piece of text is a major heading, while the H2 tag signifies a sub-heading, and so on. When these tags are displayed in the Tag Selector, you can get an idea of the structure of the page and you can also click on any tag to select the element(s) it contains.

The tags tell the browser the structural importance of each element but the page doesn’t contain any information that helps the browser decide how each element should be displayed. This job is done by CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). An XHTML page is still basically an HTML page. However, the syntax used is stricter.

XHTML is case sensitive: HTML is not. In XHTML, tags are always lowercase so the H1 tag has to be written h1. In HTML H1 or h1 can be used.

In XHTML, the closing tag of an element cannot be ommitted: in HTML it is permissible to have an opening tag without a closing tag. One such example is the horizontal rule element (hr) which creates a dividing line between two sections on a webpage. This element is represented by a single tag, since it can never be used as a container for other stuff. In XHTML, there is a special syntax for such non-container elements: a single tag which is both an opening and closing tag (hr/). In HTML, the single opening tag is used without the need for a closing tag (hr).

In summary, XHTML is the current version of HTML and this is the standard that should be used for any new projects. However, existing projects that one may inherit may well contain HTML rather the XHTML. Therefore, one should be aware of both. Remember also that HTML and XHTML describe only structural aspects of web page content: neither of them should contain information regarding the presentation and display of content. The display and presentation of web content should be specified using CSS.

The production of plastic bags is out of control. Billions are produced each year in order to meet the demand. Recycling of such bags is minimal. Only 1% of plastic bags go to recycling. The remaining bags go straight to the landfills or get blown into our eco system harming our land and sea mammals.

The death of mammals is not the only effect of plastic bags. Millions of oil barrels are used every year in the US alone to produce these bags. This abusive production needs to end.

Eliminating the use of plastic bags is one thing we can ALL do. It’s one simple way to join in the force to save our planet. Going Green is not a “new fad”. It is a necessity. We are already feeling the effects of global warming. We must all take responsibility and do our part.

Many of the large retailer and grocery stores are selling alternative bags. Unfortunately, not many consumers are using them. Some consumers forget to bring them to the stores. Some just don’t care. Others, just dont’ like the retailer’s bags as they have a huge store logo printed on them. The Bag Movement, LLC developed a bag that addresses all those excuses.

The compact, washable bags serve two purposes. They help the environment and raise funds and awareness for charities. Each purchase helps support organization such as St. Jude Children’s hospital, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and many more.

It’s a noble cause. Maybe this will initiate the movement we need. The movement to eliminate plastic bags. We can now help conserve our planet and in return support a charity. What a concept.

1. Smart Objects

The Photoshop integration which was begun in Dreamweaver CS3 has been enhanced in CS4 to offer via the use of Adobe’s Smart Objects technology. A Photoshop file can be imported directly into Dreamweaver and will automatically come in as a smart object.

Photoshop images are can be inserted using the same techniques as inserting any other image file: Insert - Image; dragging from the Files panel; dragging from the Assets panel; or using the Insert toolbar. A Photoshop-style Optimise window automatically appears and you can choose the settings appropriate for that particular image usually GIF, JPEG or PNG.

Once the image has been imported, an icon is displayed in the upper left of the image indicating that it is a smart object. Also, in the Property Inspector, the location of the original PSD file is shown in a box marked “Original”.

The fact that the image is a smart object means that if we resize it in Dreamweaver, it will automatically be re-optimised and a new version of the image will be generated with the new dimensions. (In previous versions, resizing an image would mean that the browser was responsible for resizing leading to poor image quality.

Photoshop images are can be inserted using the same techniques as inserting any other image file: Insert - Image; dragging from the Files panel; dragging from the Assets panel; or using the Insert toolbar. A Photoshop-style Optimise window automatically appears and you can choose the settings appropriate for that particular image usually GIF, JPEG or PNG.

HTML is a notoriously sparse environment which relies on files created with other technogies to add functionality to web pages. Typical examples of related files are server-side includes, CSS, JavaScript and XML. Dreamweaver now includes a feature called “Related Files” which enables you to edit the content of such files, without having to open them separately, and to instantly see the effect of your changes on the main file.

Whenever you open a file which contains linked files, Dreamweaver displays each of the linked files in the Related Files Bar. To access a related file just click on its name. If you make any changes to a related file and asterisk appears next to its name in the Related Files Bar to remind you to save your changes. When you do, the impact of the changes is immediately visible in the main file.

3. Related Files

The Property Inspector can be used to change the attributes of any element you select on an HTML page. In previous versions of Dreamweaver, changing the attributes of highlighted text would cause the program to create CSS classes with names like “Style1″, “Style2″, etc. in the head area of the current page. This random creation of styles was often responsible for getting new web developers into bad habits.

In Dreamweaver CS4, the Property Inspector contains buttons which allow you to switch between HTML and CSS options. When working in the CSS options, you can now target a specific CSS rule before choosing an attribute or, if necessary, create a new rule.