Demonstrates key tasks using the Web authoring program's expanded functionality, including the creation and editing of data-driven Web applications on multiple server platforms.
If you would like to create data-driven Web pages but do not know where to start, this book is for you. Dreamweaver UltraDev is the high-end version of Macromedia's leading Web authoring product, and lets you build online database applications without having to write much code.
Dreamweaver UltraDev explains the basics of Dreamweaver itself, and goes on to show how UltraDev's features make it easy to add dynamic content.
The style of the book is to explain each topic with step-by-step examples, complete with large screenshots so that you can check progress at every stage. Topics covered include planning an application, using HTML forms, designing a database, displaying live data in Web pages, and using SQL (Structured Query Language) for more advanced queries. There is also an explanation of search forms, inserting, editing and deleting records online, writing custom code, and sending emails from your web site.
As with any data-driven Web site, it is important to understand that you need a suitable application server. UltraDev supports Active Server Pages(ASP), JavaServer Pages, and ColdFusion. Most of the examples here use ASP, making it easy for Windows users to try them out using Microsoft's free Personal Web Server.
Aimed squarely at beginners, this title does not go into great depth. Its advantage is a friendly, accessible style combined with satisfying hands-on examples. --Tim Anderson