The Very Basics of Reading This Book

You’ll find very little jargon or nerd terminology in this book. You will, however, encounter a few terms and concepts you’ll come across frequently in your computing life:

  • Clicking. This book gives you three kinds of instructions that require you to use your computer’s mouse or trackpad. To click means to point the arrow cursor at something on the screen and then—without moving the cursor—press and release the clicker button on the mouse (or laptop trackpad). To double-click, of course, means to click twice in rapid succession, again without moving the cursor. And to drag means to move the cursor while holding down the button.

  • Keyboard shortcuts. Every time you take your hand off the keyboard to move the mouse, you lose time and potentially disrupt your creative flow. That’s why many experienced computer fans use keystroke combinations instead of menu commands wherever possible. Ctrl+B (⌘-B for Mac folks), for example, gives you boldface type in Dreamweaver documents (and most other programs).

    When you see a shortcut like Ctrl+S (⌘-S), it’s telling you to hold down the Ctrl or ⌘ key and type the letter S, then release both keys. (This command, by the way, saves changes to the current document.)

  • Choice is good. Dreamweaver frequently gives you several ways to trigger a particular command—by selecting a menu command or by clicking a toolbar button or by pressing a key combination, for example. Some people prefer the speed of keyboard shortcuts; others like the satisfaction of a visual command available in menus or toolbars. This book lists all the alternatives; use whichever you find most convenient.

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