12 Introduction
In addition to drag-and-drop features that help you build web pages,
Dreamweaver provides a full-featured coding environment that includes
code-editing tools (such as code coloring, tag completion, a coding toolbar,
and code collapse) and language reference material on Cascading Style
Sheets (CSS), JavaScript, ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML), and
other languages. Macromedia Roundtrip HTML technology imports your
hand-coded HTML documents without reformatting the code; you can
then reformat code with your preferred formatting style.
Dreamweaver also lets you build dynamic, database-driven web
applications using server technologies such as CFML, ASP.NET, ASP, JSP,
and PHP. If your preference is for working with XML data, Dreamweaver
provides tools that let you easily create XSLT pages, attach XML files, and
display XML data on your web pages.
Dreamweaver is fully customizable. You can create your own objects and
commands, modify keyboard shortcuts, and even write JavaScript code to
extend Dreamweaver capabilities with new behaviors, Property inspectors,
and site reports.
For more information on the resources available for learning Dreamweaver,
see Chapter 1, “Learning Dreamweaver,” on page 15.
What's new in Dreamweaver 8
Dreamweaver 8 includes many new features that help you build websites
and applications with a minimal amount of time and effort. Dreamweaver
makes complex technologies simple and accessible, helping you accomplish
more in less time.
Following are a few of the key new features in Dreamweaver 8:
■ Zoom tool and guides
■ Visual XML data binding
■ New CSS Styles panel
■ CSS layout visualization
■ Code collapse
■ Coding toolbar
■ Background file transfer
■ Insert Flash Video command
