Errors, Mixups & Apologies (All Editions)
If you find a problem, send me a note and I'll post a correction or explanation ASAP.
Dreamweaver CS3 Edition:
- What system CGI script to use? In step 5 on
pp 103, the text should say "Use the Method
drop-down menu to choose which type of script to use."
(Don't mess with the Action field above it.) Your Method choices are POST or GET and selecting one or
other will depend on what your ISP uses. That info
should be readily available somewhere on your Web
host's site.
- Confused about using the example files? Unfortunately, you're not alone. In fact, it's the number one complaint from readers. As I've tried to highlight on other pages, it's not straightforward to set up all these files as a local site in which you can then duplicate all the steps and examples in the book. The main thing to remember is this: download the files and then set up the entire folder "dwCS3vqjSITE" as your local site, as explained in the book on pages 7-8. Unless you're already pretty comfortable using Dreamweaver—and if you were, you probably wouldn't be using this book—that's the simplest way to go. And, like I say elsewhere on the site, if you know a better way to set them up, contact me.
- Workaround for image map's irksome dialog box. As discussed on page 75, an Alt text warning dialog box pops up every time you try to draw an image map. It makes it nigh impossible to use the Polygon Tool when drawing hot spots.
Try this: In the Menu bar, choose Edit (in Windows) or Dreamweaver (on the Mac) and then choose> Preferences > Accessibility. In the dialog box that appears, ncheck the 4th box labelled Images. Click OK to close the dialog box and Dreamweaver will stop hassling you. For more info, see this Adobe Forum.
- Right-click mystery: More than a few Mac readers with single-button mice have written in frustration asking "What is a right-click?" Press the Command key(on either side of the space bar) while clicking your mouse. Sorry—I meant to put a note about that right in the book's Introduction.
- Adding anchor link, page 65, step 6: There's some text missing without which this step won't work! Here's what the step should say (the missing text is in italics): In the Property Inspector's Link text window, use the compass-like Point-to-File icon to draw a line to the page containing the anchor. Then, right at the end of that page link, type # and (with no space between) the exact anchor name you created in step 3 (#FranceDetails in our example). Press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac) to activate the link.
- "Missing" Flash and QuickTime examples, pages 29-32: This isn't a correction but something I get lots of email about, so I figure it's worth repeating here:
As I explain on the example downloads page:
I have not included the files used to create a Flash video and Quicktime video in Chapter 3 because they're huge and would clog my server. Besides, you don't really need them to do the steps on pages 29-32.
If you have your own Flash video or QuickTime movie, use that file in the steps instead. Otherwise, you don't really need to know this particular procedure until the day comes when you do have such a file to post.
Dreamweaver 8 Edition:
No errors have been reported for this edition. Which seems pretty remarkable.
Dreamweaver MX Edition:
(pages 25, 26, 35, 46, 66, 117.
Q pp 25: The example file tuffits that I downloaded is finished, with all the pictures already added. But the example shown in the book doesn't have any of that. Where do I find the plain version of the page?
A: More than a few readers have found Step 1 on page 25 confusing, so here's a bit of extra explanation.
In Step 1, I ask you to "open one of your existing Web pages." As I do throughout the book, I'm assuming you'll build your own one-of-a-kind pages, not create exact duplicates of my example pages. Clearly, not all of you shared that assumption.
Another busted assumption: I figured it'd be way confusing to post multiple versions of each sample file, each one reflecting every change along the way. It'd require dozens of versions for every downloadable file—a potential mess for readers. But the lack of a starter example page among the downloable files left some folks stuck. As one reader put it, "I am left dumbfounded as to how I can move forward."
I don't want anyone to get stuck, so here's a plain-vanilla version of the tuffits file without pictures and layers. You can use it to exactly duplicate the steps taken on pages 25-26 and 32-33.
Q pp 26: Step 4 refers to an image file named front_cover. Why can't I find it in the downloadable example files?
A: Sorry. The file is actually named frontCoverPlain, which you will find in the images folder of the downloadable example files.
Q pp 35: Second tip (add image) says you can create a new folder on a Mac with an Option-click. But nothing happens!
A: My mistake. On the Mac, you should use Control-click, not Option-click to create a new folder. (Incredibly, my main machine is a Mac, so let's just call this a lapse and leave it at that.)
Q pp 46: Why can't I open the CAretailers tabular data file used in Step 4?
A: A previous version of this file caused a lot of people problems. With the help of several readers, I have posted a zipped plain text version of the file that should run on everyone's machine without hassle. Remember that the downloable file is a ZIP file, so you've got to decompress it first using your unzip/expand utility.
Q pp 66: In Step 5, when I type NorthernCA in the Link text field, the link doesn't work?
A: You need to type #NorthernCA instead.
Q pp 117: At the top of the illustration, has the text for the Put files button been accidentally swapped with the text for the Get files button?
A: Yep, I'm afraid so. The blue, upward-pointing arrow is actually the Put files button while the green, downward-pointing arrow is the Get files button.
Found an error in the book, or something confusing? Drop me an email and I'll post a correction or explanation ASAP. With your help, we can save others from the same headaches.
