Intro & Account Setup | Getting Started With Dreamweaver MX | Program Layout | Making a Page | Page Properties
Text and Text Properties | Cascading Style Sheets | Tables | Images | Links
Publishing | Templates | Collaborating | Outside Resources

Text
As you work with Dreamweaver MX, you'll notice it's 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, use your cursor to click anywhere on the page and simply type.

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.

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 is not very different from editing with a word processor. The only difference is that in Dreamweaver MX, 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.

If you do not see the Properties window, go the menu bar, go to “Window” and select “Properties.”
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:
Clicking on the small triangle minimizes the Property window. Clicking on it again expands it.

2. Format:
Sets paragraph formats to currently selected text (such as heading text, or paragraph text).

3. Font:
Changes the font style of selected text (such as Arial or Times New Roman). Only fonts that are installed on a user's computer can be used in a web page. Notice that Dreamweaver MX provides combinations of fonts commonly found on both Windows and Mac computers.

4. Size:
Changes the size of selected text.

5. Text Color:
Clicking on the square brings up the color picker menu. Here, you can choose a color for selected text.

6. Hexadecimal Color Value:
The text box allows you to change the color of text by entering its hexadecimal value (i.e.: black = #000000)

7. Bold:
Makes selected text bold.

8. Italic:
Makes selected text italic.

9. Align Left:
Aligns selected text to the left.

10. Align Center:
Center aligns selected text.

11. Align Right:
Aligns selected text to the right.

12. Justify:
The margins for this alignment stretch to equal distances to the right and left.

13. Link:
By entering a URL (website address), you can turn selected text into a hyperlink.

14. Point to File:
For use with the Files menu. Drag and drop the pointer to a file listed in your Local or Remote site files to make a link.

15. Browse for File:
Click the folder icon, and browse for a file on your computer to turn into a link.

16. Target:
Links contain the ability to open up a page in various locations. Using Target, you can set a link to open a page in a new window, the current browser, or in a different frame (if you are making a page in frames).

17. Unordered List:
Creates a bullet (unordered) list.

18. Ordered List:
Creates a numbered (ordered) list.

19. Text Outdent:
Outdents selected text on both sides of the page. Clicking on the outdent icon multiple times sets the text closer to the edge of the page.

20. Text Indent:
Indents selected text on both sides of the page. Clicking on the indent icon multiple times sets the text farther from the edges of the page.

21. Help:
Clicking on the “?” icon brings up the Dreamweaver MX help documents.

22. Expand/Collapse:
Clicking on the small triangle expands the Properties window. Clicking on it again it its expanded mode minimizes the window.

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.

Checking Spelling
Possibly one of the more overlooked features of any program is the ability to check your spelling. This is essential for a website. Think about it: if CNN or MSNBC were to make a large amount of spelling errors on their news sites, would they be taken seriously? Of course not. You want to portray yourself in an intelligent manner on the Internet. Be sure to use the spell checker. You can access it by using the "Text" menu, and clicking on "Check Spelling" at the very bottom. The keyboard shortcut is "Shift+F7."

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