Dreamweaver - What layout method you use

Author

What layout method you use

Softpages

2006-02-07, 10:40 pm

Hi
Ive been learning the macromedia suite now for about 6 month and am no expert
but can do most things.. In all this time though Ive never really come across
anything which gives me a general idea as to the initial layout method... Ive
used a few but im not sure how you do the front pages which seems to be a
single page whereby the Banner & navigation not only occupies the top but wraps
around down the sides etc. It the whole page done in flash and then the
content dropped on top in layers ?

Another thing.. ive started to create alot of my content in fireworks now and
inport them as a single gif graphic. As opposed to in Dreamweaver and then
formatting them/applying CSS.. IS this a good practice or stick to DW & CSS.
I find I utilising FW much easier and more powerful... I also imagine the size
is smaller.

Kim

2006-02-07, 10:40 pm

> Hi
> Ive been learning the macromedia suite now for about 6 month and am no expert
> but can do most things.. In all this time though Ive never really come across
> anything which gives me a general idea as to the initial layout method... Ive
> used a few but im not sure how you do the front pages which seems to be a
> single page whereby the Banner & navigation not only occupies the top but wraps
> around down the sides etc. It the whole page done in flash and then the
> content dropped on top in layers ?

I guess that would depend! I hate dropdown menus as they are annoying,
most of them relies on JS which means it will add extra weight to the
page, they have accessibility issues, the are in 99% of all cases
overkill. So My general layout would be a header which clearly
identifies the name of the company and looks good. Then I prefer a
horizontal menu below the header. If I need sub categories to whatever
(ie about us) then I would have a side menu... mostly on the left side.
What I also think is very very important is a footer which clearly
contains PHONE NUMBER, address etc.
>
> Another thing.. ive started to create alot of my content in fireworks now and
> inport them as a single gif graphic.

That is plain stupid! There is no way an image can ever contain the same
info as real text if you see it from a search engines point of view.
BTW... take a look at your page with images turned of. What do you think
you will see then?

As opposed to in Dreamweaver and then
> formatting them/applying CSS.. IS this a good practice or stick to DW & CSS.

That's how web sites are done... and then you add some images!

> I find I utilising FW much easier and more powerful... I also imagine the size
> is smaller.

You are kidding... right?
>
>
>

--
kim
--------------------------
http://mouseriders.dk

Softpages

2006-02-07, 10:41 pm

Oops .. look like I started going down a wrong road... I was using CSS .. it
was just that I created a few text blocks in Fireworks complete with
backgrounds/containers.. I thought this is easy and basically done most of the
front page like that.. Any way I get ure point about the search engines..

It seems to me(been poking around) that many of the top sites are developed in
a graphics package (photoshop) and then all the useful bits sliced up and
dropped into the site along with a flash area.. I take it they are either
dropped in to table cells.. I use layers a lot so I take it i could drop the
sliced bits into layers ?

I think this is the bit ive been missing as I havent ever sliced anything..
just mainly dropped all me content into layers and then styled them..

Paul Whitham TMM

2006-02-07, 10:42 pm

Most developers create a mock up of what the page will look like as a single
image and then use that as the base for page layout. The old method was to
use FW to slice up the image, which then created tables. While you could
define text boxes there was a major issue that once the text expanded beyond
the area defined as the box, the image would start to pull apart.

In DW you can use the mock up image as a tracing layer and then create the
CSS based on it.

--
Paul Whitham
Certified Dreamweaver MX2004 Professional
Team Macromedia Volunteer for Dreamweaver

Valleybiz Internet Design
www.valleybiz.net

"Softpages" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dri4cq$4uu$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Oops .. look like I started going down a wrong road... I was using CSS
> .. it
> was just that I created a few text blocks in Fireworks complete with
> backgrounds/containers.. I thought this is easy and basically done most of
> the
> front page like that.. Any way I get ure point about the search engines..
>
> It seems to me(been poking around) that many of the top sites are
> developed in
> a graphics package (photoshop) and then all the useful bits sliced up and
> dropped into the site along with a flash area.. I take it they are either
> dropped in to table cells.. I use layers a lot so I take it i could drop
> the
> sliced bits into layers ?
>
> I think this is the bit ive been missing as I havent ever sliced
> anything..
> just mainly dropped all me content into layers and then styled them..
>
>

.: Nadia :. *TMM*

2006-02-07, 10:42 pm

Ok, some for some reading for you.

Layers (absolutely positioned divs) are not the best layout method (unless
you are familiar with how they work, which I don't believe you do).
Have a read of this first: http://apptools.com/examples/pagelayout101.php

Most designers us a graphics program as you right suggest to layout the page
to see what it should look like. They will then slice up bits and pieces.
They will either use an exported piece as an image directly into a table
cell, div or other container. They may also use the piece as a background
image using CSS.

This tutorial is very good at explaining how to use graphical elements to
build a 'flexible table' layout:
http://www.dwfaq.com/Tutorials/Tabl...ible_tables.asp

You can then move onto the basic css tutorials at:
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/dr...s_concepts.html

Never ever use a graphics program to export the html code into DW. You will
end up with bloated and rigid code.

It seems to me you should also start by learning basic html and css. The
above MM link will teach you about css, but take a look at www.w3schools.com
for a course in html. Without knowing any code you will never be able to
troubleshoot any problems you encounter and will not be able to move forward
in you development career, if that's what you are thinking of doing in the
future.

--
Nadia
Team MM Volunteer for Dreamweaver
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"Softpages" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:dri4cq$4uu$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Oops .. look like I started going down a wrong road... I was using CSS
> .. it
> was just that I created a few text blocks in Fireworks complete with
> backgrounds/containers.. I thought this is easy and basically done most of
> the
> front page like that.. Any way I get ure point about the search engines..
>
> It seems to me(been poking around) that many of the top sites are
> developed in
> a graphics package (photoshop) and then all the useful bits sliced up and
> dropped into the site along with a flash area.. I take it they are either
> dropped in to table cells.. I use layers a lot so I take it i could drop
> the
> sliced bits into layers ?
>
> I think this is the bit ive been missing as I havent ever sliced
> anything..
> just mainly dropped all me content into layers and then styled them..
>
>