Introduction | Opening the Program | Different Views | Program Layout | Panels: 1 - 2
The Insert Bar: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 | Creating a New Page | Opening a Page | Multiple Pages with Similar Styles
Page Properties | Text & Text Properties | Checking Spelling | Style Sheets: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
Tables: 1 - 2 - 3 | Images: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 | Links: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
Publishing: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 | Templates: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 | Collaboration: 1 - 2 - 3
Outside References

Text:
As you work with Dreamweaver MX 2004, you'll notice it is similar in many ways to the programs you may have worked with in the past, such as Microsoft Word. There are many options and features that indeed work in very similar ways to these other programs. Some of these most basic features are working with text, and formatting that text.

To begin adding text to your web page in Dreamweaver MX 2004, use your cursor to click anywhere on the page and type directly onto the document.

Properties:
The Properties panel (not to be confused with the Page Properties window, discussed in the previous section) can be found going across the bottom of the screen. To access more options, click on the small triangle next to the word “Properties.” This will expand the window.

If you do not see the Properties window, go the menu bar, go to “Window” and select “Properties.”

The Properties Window:
Editing text with Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 is not very different from editing with a word processor. The only difference is that in Dreamweaver MX 2004, text format and other properties are not controlled in the main menu at the top of the screen, but in a window (or "palette") called "Properties."

The Properties panel (not to be confused with the Page Properties window, discussed in the previous section) can be found going across the bottom of the screen. To access more options, click on the small white triangle next to the word “Properties.” This will expand the window.

You will use the Properties window to format and edit most of your content on your web page. Please note that the Properties palette does change appearance depending on what sort of content you are working with. For example, editing text makes the Properties palette appear one way, while editing a table makes the palette appear in a different way. We'll get back to the different states of the Properties palette when we talk about tables in the next section.

Right now, let's take a look at the different features of the Properties palette. The numbered list below corresponds with the numbers on the image of the Properties palette. Use this image to aid you in learning the different features of the palette.

1. Minimize/Maximize:
   Collapses the Properties panel back and forth.
2. Format:
   Allows you to pick a pre-set format for the selected text.
3. Style:
   Allows you to pick a pre-set selection from a Cascading Style Sheet to format the selected text.
4. Bold:
   Puts the selected text in bold face.
5. Italics:
   Puts the selected text in italics.
6. Align Left:
   Left-aligns the selected text.
7. Align Center:
   Centers the selected text.
8. Right Align:
   Right-aligns the selected text.
9. Justify:
   Justifies the selected text.
10. Link:
    Allows you to link the selected text to another file or web page.
11. Point to File:
    Allows you to click-and-drag to another file to indicated a link relationship.
12. Browse for File:
    Allows you to browse your local files to link the selected text to.
13. Quick Tag Editor:
    Brings up a small “quick tag editor,” in which you can edit the coding by hand without switching views.
14. Font:
    Allows you to select a font face for the selected text to appear as/in.
15. Size:
    Allows you to select a font size for the selected text to appear as/in.
16. Pixels/Points:
    Allows you to change whether the font size refers to a number of pixels or points.
17. Text Color:
    Brings up an “eyedropper” tool, allowing you to point to any color on the screen, formatting the selected text in that color.
18. Hex Color:
    Allows you to enter in the hex code for a color, rather than using the GUI to choose it.
19. Unordered List:
    Begins an unordered, bulleted list, or formats the selected text into one.
20. Ordered List:
    Begins an ordered, numbered list, or formats the selected text into one.
21. Text Outdent:
    ”Outdents” the text back to the left.
22. Text Indent:
    ”Indents” the text over to the right.
23. Target:
    Allows you to link to a specific target within the same web page.
24. Page Properties:
    Brings up the “Page Properties” series of windows.
25. List Item:
    Opens the “List Properties” box.

Please note that the “Text” drop down menu on the menu bar can also accomplish most of the functions listed above. If you feel more comfortable editing text using this menu, then please do so. However, the Properties menu is convenient since is packages all of these features in one, easy-to-use window.

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