Web Authoring

Web authoring is the process of developing Web pages. The Web development process requires you to use software to create functional pages that will work on the Internet. Adding Web functionality is creating specific components within a Web page that do something. Adding links, rollover graphics, and interactive multimedia items to a Web page creates are examples of enhanced functionality. This chapter demonstrates Web based authoring techniques using Macromedia Dreamweaver. The focus is on adding Web functions to pages generated from Macromedia Fireworks and to overview creating Web pages from scratch using Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver and Fireworks are professional Web applications. Using professional Web software will benefit you tremendously. There are other ways to create Web pages using applications not specifically made to create Web pages. These applications include Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. The use of Microsoft applications for Web page development is not covered in this chapter. However, I do provide steps on how to use these applications for Web page authoring within the appendix of this text. If you feel that you are more comfortable using the Microsoft applications or the Macromedia applications simply aren’t available to you yet, follow the same process for Web page conceptualization and content creation and use the programs available to you. You should try to get Web page development skills using Macromedia Dreamweaver because it helps you expand your software skills outside of basic office applications. The ability to create a Web page using professional Web development software is important to building a high-end computer skills set. The main objectives of this chapter are to get you involved in some technical processes that you’ll need to create the Web portfolio. Focus will be on guiding you through opening your sliced pages, adding links, using tables, creating pop up windows for content and using layers and timelines for dynamic HTML. The coverage will not try to provide a complete tutorial set for Macromedia Dreamweaver, but will highlight essential techniques. Along the way you will get pieces of hand coded action scripts and JavaScripts. You can decide which pieces you want to use in your own Web portfolio pages. The techniques provided are a concentrated workflow for creating Web pages. Let us begin to explore Web page authoring.