- Dreamweaver User Guide
- Introduction
- Dreamweaver and Creative Cloud
- Dreamweaver workspaces and views
- Set up sites
- About Dreamweaver sites
- Set up a local version of your site
- Connect to a publishing server
- Set up a testing server
- Import and export Dreamweaver site settings
- Bring existing websites from a remote server to your local site root
- Accessibility features in Dreamweaver
- Advanced settings
- Set site preferences for transferring files
- Specify proxy server settings in Dreamweaver
- Synchronize Dreamweaver settings with Creative Cloud
- Using Git in Dreamweaver
- Manage files
- Create and open files
- Manage files and folders
- Getting and putting files to and from your server
- Check in and check out files
- Synchronize files
- Compare files for differences
- Cloak files and folders in your Dreamweaver site
- Enable Design Notes for Dreamweaver sites
- Preventing potential Gatekeeper exploit
- Layout and design
- CSS
- Understand Cascading Style Sheets
- Laying out pages using CSS Designer
- Using CSS preprocessors in Dreamweaver
- How to set CSS Style preferences in Dreamweaver
- Move CSS rules in Dreamweaver
- Convert inline CSS to a CSS rule in Dreamweaver
- Work with div tags
- Apply gradients to background
- Create and edit CSS3 transition effects in Dreamweaver
- Format code
- Page content and assets
- Set page properties
- Set CSS heading properties and CSS link properties
- Work with text
- Find and replace text, tags, and attributes
- DOM panel
- Edit in Live View
- Encoding documents in Dreamweaver
- Select and view elements in the Document window
- Set text properties in the Property inspector
- Spell check a web page
- Using horizontal rules in Dreamweaver
- Add and modify font combinations in Dreamweaver
- Work with assets
- Insert and update dates in Dreamweaver
- Create and manage favorite assets in Dreamweaver
- Insert and edit images in Dreamweaver
- Add media objects
- Adding videos in Dreamweaver
- Insert HTML5 video
- Insert SWF files
- Add audio effects
- Insert HTML5 audio in Dreamweaver
- Work with library items
- Using Arabic and Hebrew text in Dreamweaver
- Linking and navigation
- jQuery widgets and effects
- Coding websites
- About coding in Dreamweaver
- Coding environment in Dreamweaver
- Set coding preferences
- Customize code coloring
- Write and edit code
- Code hinting and code completion
- Collapse and expand code
- Reuse code with snippets
- Lint code
- Optimize code
- Edit code in Design view
- Work with head content for pages
- Insert server-side includes in Dreamweaver
- Using tag libraries in Dreamweaver
- Importing custom tags into Dreamweaver
- Use JavaScript behaviors (general instructions)
- Apply built-in JavaScript behaviors
- About XML and XSLT
- Perform server-side XSL transformations in Dreamweaver
- Performing client-side XSL transformations in Dreamweaver
- Add character entities for XSLT in Dreamweaver
- Format code
- Cross-product workflows
- Installing and using extensions to Dreamweaver
- In-App updates in Dreamweaver
- Insert Microsoft Office documents in Dreamweaver (Windows only)
- Working with Fireworks and Dreamweaver
- Edit content in Dreamweaver sites using Contribute
- Dreamweaver-Business Catalyst integration
- Create personalized email campaigns
- Templates
- About Dreamweaver templates
- Recognizing templates and template-based documents
- Create a Dreamweaver template
- Create editable regions in templates
- Create repeating regions and tables in Dreamweaver
- Use optional regions in templates
- Define editable tag attributes in Dreamweaver
- How to create nested templates in Dreamweaver
- Edit, update, and delete templates
- Export and import xml content in Dreamweaver
- Apply or remove a template from an existing document
- Edit content in Dreamweaver templates
- Syntax rules for template tags in Dreamweaver
- Set highlighting preferences for template regions
- Benefits of using templates in Dreamweaver
- Mobile and multiscreen
- Dynamic sites, pages and web forms
- Understand web applications
- Set up your computer for application development
- Troubleshoot database connections
- Removing connection scripts in Dreamweaver
- Design dynamic pages
- Dynamic content sources overview
- Define sources of dynamic content
- Add dynamic content to pages
- Changing dynamic content in Dreamweaver
- Display database records
- Provide and troubleshoot live data in Dreamweaver
- Add custom server behaviors in Dreamweaver
- Building forms using Dreamweaver
- Use forms to collect information from users
- Create and enable ColdFusion forms in Dreamweaver
- Create web forms
- Enhanced HTML5 support for form elements
- Develop a form using Dreamweaver
- Building applications visually
- Build master and detail pages in Dreamweaver
- Build search and results pages
- Build a record insert page
- Build an update record page in Dreamweaver
- Building record delete pages in Dreamweaver
- Use ASP commands to modify database in Dreamweaver
- Build a registration page
- Build a login page
- Build a page that only authorized users can access
- Securing folders in Coldfusion using Dreamweaver
- Using ColdFusion components in Dreamweaver
- Test, preview, and publish websites
- Troubleshooting
Learn how add and format text in Live view, Code view, or by extracting text and the associated properties from PSD files.
Add text to a document
To add text to a Dreamweaver document, you can type text directly in the Document window, or you can cut and paste text. You can also import text from other documents.
When you paste text into a Dreamweaver document, you can use either the Paste or the Paste Special command. The Paste Special command lets you specify the format of pasted text in different ways. For example, if you wanted to paste text from a formatted Microsoft Word document into your Dreamweaver document, but wanted to strip out all of the formatting so that you could apply your own CSS style sheet to the pasted text, you could select the text in Word, copy it to your Clipboard, and use the Paste Special command to select the option that lets you paste text only.
When using the Paste command to paste text from other applications, you can set paste preferences as default options.
Control+V (Windows) and Command+V (Macintosh) always paste text only (no formatting) in Code view.
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Add text to your document by doing one of the following:
- Extract text from your PSD compositions using the Extract panel. For detailed information, see Copy text from PSD files.
- Type text directly into the Document window.
- Copy text from another application, switch to Dreamweaver, position the insertion point in the Design view of the Document window, and select Edit > Paste or Edit > Paste Special.
When you select Edit > Paste Special, you can select several paste formatting options.
You can also paste text using the following keyboard shortcuts:
Paste option
Keyboard shortcut
Paste
Control+V (Windows)
Command+V (Macintosh)
Paste Special
Control+Shift+V (Windows)
Command+Shift+V (Macintosh)
Insert special characters
Certain special characters are represented in HTML by a name or a number, referred to as an entity. HTML includes entity names for characters such as the copyright symbol (©), the ampersand (&), and the registered-trademark symbol (®). Each entity has both a name (such as —) and a numeric equivalent (such as —).
HTML uses the angle brackets <> in its code, but you may need to express the special characters for greater than or less than without Dreamweaver interpreting them as code. In this case, use > for greater than (>) and < for less than (<).
Unfortunately, many older browsers don’t properly display many of the named entities.
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In the Document window, place the insertion point where you want to insert a special character.
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Do one of the following:
Select the name of the character from the Insert > HTML > Character.
In the HTML category of the Insert panel, click the Characters option and select the character from the pop-up menu.
Note:There are many other special characters available; to select one of them, select Insert > HTML > Character > Other..., or click the Characters button in the HTML category of the Insert panel and select the Other Characters option. Select a character from the Insert Other Character dialog box, and click OK.
Add space between characters
HTML only allows for one space between characters; to add additional space in a document you must insert a non-breaking space. You can set a preference to automatically add non-breaking spaces in a document.
Insert a non-breaking space
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Do one of the following:
Select Insert > HTML > Special Characters > Non-Breaking Space.
Press Control+Shift+Spacebar (Windows) or Option+Spacebar (Macintosh).
From Insert panel, select HTML, click the Characters button and select the Non-Breaking Space option.
Set a preference to add non-breaking spaces
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Select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Dreamweaver > Preferences (Macintosh).
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In the General category make sure Allow Multiple Consecutive Spaces is checked.
Add paragraph spacing
Dreamweaver works similarly to many word processing application: you press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) to create a new paragraph. Web browsers automatically insert a blank line of space between paragraphs. You can add a single line of space between paragraphs by inserting a line break.
Add a paragraph return
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Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh).
Add a line break
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Do one of the following:
Press Shift+Enter (Windows) or Shift+Return (Macintosh).
Select Insert > HTML > Special Characters > Line Break.
From the Insert panel, select HTML, click the Characters button and select Line Break.
Create bulleted and numbered lists
You can create numbered (ordered) lists, bulleted (unordered) lists, and definition lists from existing text or from new text as you type in the Document window.
Definition lists do not use leading characters like bullet points or numbers and are often used in glossaries or descriptions. Lists can also be nested. Nested lists are lists that contain other lists. For example, you might want an ordered or bulleted list nested within another numbered or ordered list.
You use the List Properties dialog box to set the appearance of an entire list or for an individual list item. You can set number style, reset numbering, or set bullet style options for individual list items or for the entire list.
Create a new list
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In the Dreamweaver document, place the insertion point where you want to add a list, then do one of the following:
In the HTML Property inspector, click either Ordered List or List Item.
Select Insert > HTMl > and select the type of list desired - Unordered List (bulleted list), Ordered List (numbered list).
The leading character for the specified list item appears in the Document window.
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Type the list item text, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (Macintosh) to create another list item.
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To complete the list, press Enter twice (Windows) or press Return twice (Macintosh).
Create a list using existing text
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Select a series of paragraphs to make into a list.
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Select Insert > HTML > Unordered List or Ordered List or List Item.
Create a nested list
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Select the list items that you want to nest.
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Right-click and select List > Indent.
Dreamweaver indents the text and creates a separate list with the original list’s HTML attributes.
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Apply a new list type or style to the indented text by following the same procedure used above.
Set list properties for an entire list
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In the Document window, create at least one list item. The new style will automatically apply to additional items you add to the list.
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With the insertion point in the list item’s text, right-click and select List > Properties. The system displays the List Properties dialog box.
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Set the options you want to define the list:
List Type
Specifies list properties while List Item specifies an individual item in a list. Use the pop‑up menu to select a bulleted, numbered, directory, or menu list. Depending on the List Type you select different options appear in the dialog box.
Style
Determines the style of numbers or bullets used for a numbered or bulleted list. All items in the list will have this style unless you specify a new style for items within the list.
Start Count
Sets the value for the first item in a numbered list.
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Click OK to set the choices.
Set list properties for a list item
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In the Document window, place the insertion point in the text of a list item you want to affect
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Right-click and select List > Properties.
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Under List Item, set the options you want to define:
New Style
Specifies a style for the selected list item. Styles in the New Style menu are related to the type of list displayed in the List Type menu. For example, if the List Item menu displays Bulleted List, only bullet options are available in the New Style menu.
Reset Count To
Sets a specific number from which to number list item entries.
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Click OK to set the options.
Search for and replace text
For information on finding and replacing text, see Find and Replace text.
Define abbreviations and acronyms
HTML provides tags that let you define the abbreviations and acronyms you use in your page for search engines, spell checkers, language translation programs, or speech synthesizers. For example, you might want to specify that the abbreviation ME in your page stands for mechanical engineer, or the acronym WHO stands for World Health Organization.
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Select the abbreviation or acronym in the text of your page.
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Select Insert > HTML > Text Objects > Abbreviation, or Insert > HTML > Text Objects > Acronym.
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Enter the full text of the acronym or abbreviation.
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Enter the language, such as en for English, de for German, or it for Italian.
Set copy and paste preferences
You can set special paste preferences as default options when using Edit > Paste to paste text from other applications. For example, if you always want to paste text as text only, or text with basic formatting, you can set the default option in the Copy/Paste Preferences dialog box.
When you paste text into a Dreamweaver document, you can use either the Paste or the Paste Special command. The Paste Special command lets you specify the format of pasted text in different ways. For example, if you wanted to paste text from a formatted Microsoft Word document into your Dreamweaver document, but wanted to strip out all of the formatting so that you could apply your own CSS style sheet to the pasted text, you could select the text in Word, copy it to your Clipboard, and use the Paste Special command to select the option that lets you paste text only.
Preferences set in the Copy/Paste Preferences dialog box apply only to material pasted into Design view.
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Select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Dreamweaver Preferences (Macintosh).
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Click the Copy/Paste category.
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Set the following options and click OK.
Text Only
Lets you paste unformatted text. If the original text is formatted, all formatting, including line breaks and paragraphs, will be removed.
Text With Structure
Lets you paste text that retains structure, but does not retain basic formatting. For example, you can paste text and retain the structure of paragraphs, lists, and tables, without retaining bold, italics, and other formatting.
Text With Structure Plus Basic Formatting
Lets you paste both structured and simple HTML-formatted text (e.g., paragraphs and tables, as well as text formatted with the b, i, u, strong, em, hr, abbr, or acronym tag).
Text With Structure Plus Full Formatting
Lets you paste text that retains all structure, HTML formatting, and CSS styles.
Note:The Full Formatting option cannot retain CSS styles that come from an external style sheet, nor can it retain styles if the application from which you are pasting does not retain styles upon pasting to the Clipboard.
Retain Line Breaks
Lets you keep line breaks in pasted text. This option is disabled if you have selected Text Only.
Clean Up Word Paragraph Spacing
Select this option if you selected Text With Structure or Text With Structure Plus Basic Formatting, and want to eliminate extra space between paragraphs when you paste your text.
Convert smart quotes to straight quotes Converts smart quotes to straight quotes.