Hey, what’s up? Sensei Zap here (cheers for the moniker, 3dogmama!) Okay now, on the issue of CSS and Dreamweaver, there seems to be some common hang-ups that really mess people up. So I and decided to get to work and explain some of these issues. So, here’s my list of five hang-ups with CSS and Dreamweaver, plus a bonus one thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!

Hang-Up #1: What’s Up With The Format And Style Menus On The Properties Inspector?

So what’s the diff between these two menus, and when should you use ‘em? Truth is, they do completely different things; lemme explain.

Pop open the Format menu on the Properties inspector, and you’ll see None, Paragraph, Heading1, etc. These are HTML block elements—they’re built into HTML. Now, as for the Style menu just to the right, this guy’ll list out any class rules that you’ve created via CSS. In other words, stuff that appears in this list is stuff you’ve created—they aren’t built into HTML.

Is this making sense? So items that appear under the Format menu are built into HTML, whereas formats that appear in the Style menu are rules that you’ve created. Okay, keep on reading to check out Hang-Up #2.

Building and managing websites can seem like a daunting task for the uninitiated. Even if you've been designing sites for a while, managing links, uploading, even working with a design team can still be challenging stuff. Throw in some heavy CSS-driven page layouts, and web design is suddenly down-right freaky!

Deep soothing breath, grasshopper. I have some great resources to help you with these web design issues. First, a 3-part video series called Creatin' CSS Layouts In Dreamweaver, which will demystify CSS-driven page layout. It'll take you from the basics, through to code and layout refinement, right up to building a full-on centered layout. Check it out!

Next, how about managing that site once it's up and running? Things like finding and fixing broken links, file management--that sort of thing? Here's an article called 10 Dreamweaver Site Management Tools. Give it a read here.

So, whether you're just getting into building sites, or if you've been at it a while, I hope these resources will help you out! Enjoy!

You know, I've been using Acrobat--Acrobat Professional, that is--for years and years, and I find it astonishing how little most people know about this powerful app. What makes Acrobat so unique is that it's really hard to define, and it's used in such a huge array of industries. Most think it's just used to view and print PDFs, but there's a whole world of tools, features, and options just waiting to be used to really make your PDFs sing! Best of all, it's really easy stuff. Anyway, so I began compiling some resources on one of my sites as a way to really showcase what this program can do.

First, check out a video series called "Get Goin' With Bookmarks in Acrobat." This series will introduce you to the concept of bookmarks, and you'll see how to create 'em, mange 'em, and best of all, use them to add some eye-popping interactivity to your PDFs. Check it out.

Next up, for a more well rounded look at Acrobat, there's "25 Supa-Killah Acrobat Secrets," a massive list of Acrobat tools and features that'll give ya the gist on all kinds of cool Acrobat commands, including things like audio, video, layers, managing files, print production tools, web tools, and tons more. Check it out.

So there ya go, there's some cool Acrobat resources for you. I hope you like them, and hopefully you'll be able to begin using a few of these tricks right away!