Optimize Dreamweaver workspace for visual development

Select the Data category from the Category pop-up menu of the Insert panel to display a set of buttons that let you add dynamic content and server behaviors to your page.

The number and type of buttons that appear vary depending upon the document type opened in the Document window. Move your mouse over an icon to display a tooltip that describes what that button does.

The Insert panel includes buttons to add the following items to the page:

• Recordsets

• Dynamic text or tables

• Record navigation bars

  If you switch to Code view (View > Code), additional panels might appear in their own Insert panel category, allowing you to insert code in the page. For example, if you view a ColdFusion page in Code view, a CFML panel becomes available in the CFML category of the Insert panel.

  Several panels provide ways for you to create dynamic pages:

   

  • Select the Bindings panel (Window > Bindings) to define sources of dynamic content for your page and add the content to the page.

  • Select the Server Behaviors panel (Window > Server Behaviors) to add server-side logic to your dynamic pages.

  • Select the Databases panel (Window >Databases) to explore databases or create database connections.

  • Select the Components panel (Window > Components) to inspect, add, or modify code for ColdFusion components.

A server behavior is the set of instructions inserted in a dynamic page at design time and executed on the server at run time.

For a tutorial on setting up the development workspace, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0144.

View your database within Dreamweaver

After connecting to your database, you can view its structure and data within Dreamweaver.

Preview dynamic pages in a browser

Web application developers often debug their pages by checking them often in a web browser. You can quickly view dynamic pages in a browser without first manually uploading them to a server (press F12).

To preview dynamic pages, you must complete the Testing Server category of the Site Definition dialog box.

You can specify that Dreamweaver use temporary files instead of the original files. With this option, Dreamweaver runs a temporary copy of the page on a web server before displaying it in your browser. (Dreamweaver then deletes the temporary file from the server.) To set this option, select Edit > Preferences > Preview In Browser.

The Preview In Browser option does not upload related pages such as a results or a detail page, dependent files such as image files, or server-side includes. To upload a missing file, select Window > Site to open the Site panel, select the file under Local Folder, and click the blue up arrow in the toolbar to copy the file to the web server folder.

Restrict database information displayed in Dreamweaver

Advanced users of large database systems like Oracle should restrict the number of database items retrieved and displayed by Dreamweaver at design time. An Oracle database may contain items that Dreamweaver cannot process at design time. You can create a schema in Oracle and use it in Dreamweaver to filter out unnecessary items at design time.

Other users may benefit from restricting the amount of information Dreamweaver retrieves at design time. Some databases contain dozens or even hundreds of tables, and you might prefer not to list them all while you work. A schema or catalog can restrict the number of database items that are retrieved at design time.

You must create a schema or catalog in your database system before you can apply it in Dreamweaver. Consult your database system documentation or your system administrator.

Set the Property inspector for ColdFusion stored procedures and ASP commands

Modify the selected stored procedure. The available options vary depending on the server technology.

Input Name options

This Property inspector appears when Dreamweaver encounters an unrecognized input type. Typically this occurs because of a typing or other data entry error.

If you change the field type in the Property inspector to a value that Dreamweaver recognizes—for example, if you correct the spelling error—the Property inspector updates to show the properties for the recognized type. Set any of the following options in the Property inspector:

Assigns a name to the field. This box is required, and the name must be unique.

Sets the input type of the field. The contents of this box reflect the input type value that currently appears in your HTML source code.

Sets the value of the field.

Opens the Parameters dialog box so you can view the current attributes of the field, as well as add or remove attributes.