Dreamweaver CS5: The Missing Manual

Modifying AP Element Properties

Once you add an AP div, you don’t need to go back to the CSS Rule Definition window to edit most of the AP div’s positioning properties. Using the Property inspector, you can rename it, resize it, move it, align it with other AP divs, and set many other properties.

But first, you have to select the AP div using one of these methods:

• Click the AP div’s name in the AP Elements panel (see Figure 9-24).

• Click the AP div’s selection handle (see Figure 9-22).

• Click the AP div’s border. The border turns red when you move your mouse into the proper position.

• Click the AP element marker that indicates the HTML code for the absolutely positioned item (see Figure 9-22). (Out of the box, Dreamweaver hides these markers, since they can get in the way of your design work; to show them, see the tip on Tip.)

And if those aren’t enough ways to select an AP div—Adobe’s programmers never sleep—you can also Shift-click an absolutely positioned element. This Shift-click technique offers another advantage: you can select multiple AP divs simultaneously, and set the properties of (or align) many AP divs at once. If you’re working in an AP div or have an AP div selected, Shift-clicking another AP div selects them both. You can continue to Shift-click to select additional AP divs. (Shift-click a second time to deselect a selected absolutely positioned element.)

Resizing Absolutely Positioned Elements

When you select an AP element, eight handles appear around the edges of the AP div ...