Dreamweaver 4 vs. Dreamweaver MX

In the past two years, Macromedia has put out 3 different versions of Dreamweaver: Dreamweaver 4, Dreamweaver MX, and Dreamweaver MX 2004. To make matters even more confusing, these 3 versions of the product offer two different ways to view your web page: the Dreamweaver 4 workspace and the Dreamweaver MX workspace. While all three versions, and both workspaces, share essentially the same set of tools, where the tools reside depends on which workspace you are using.

Dreamweaver 4 workspace vs. Dreamweaver MX workspace

The Dreamweaver 4 workspace (see Figure 2) is comprised of independent floating panels which can be moved (by left-clicking and dragging the title area) and resized (by left-clicking and dragging the panel wall). The Dreamweaver MX workspace (see Figure 3) integrates these panels into one large application window. While the panels can be moved and resized, they are designed to fit together into the one window.

Dreamweaver 4 has only one workspace available: the Dreamweaver 4 workspace. Dreamweaver MX 2004, the newest version, also has only one workspace option: the Dreamweaver MX workspace. Dreamweaver MX has both these options available.

If you have Dreamweaver MX, you can change your workspace by going to the Edit menu and choosing Preferences. In the category column on the left, choose General. There should be a button near the center of the dialogue box that says Change Workspace. Selecting this button opens a dialogue box (see figure 1) that allows you to move between the two workspaces.

Figure 1

Dreamweaver 4 workspace

Figure 2 shows the Dreamweaver 4 workspace. If you have taken my classes through Cooperative Extension, this is the workspace we have used. The Document window is labeled A. This is where you insert and arrange various elements of your webpage: graphics, text, hyperlinks, and so on. The Insert panel is labeled B and, in this example, is just to the right side of document window. It is a floating panel, however, and so can be placed anywhere on the page, as well as resized. It is used to insert various elements--tables, graphics, Flash objects--into your document. The Property Inspector is labeled C. It is just below the Document window in this example. As with the Insert panel, it can be moved and resized. It is used to manipulate the properties of whatever is selected inside the Document window.

Figure 2

Dreamweaver MX workspace

The Dreamweaver MX workspace (Figure 3) has the same tools in different spots, and is designed so that all the panels are integrated into a single window, as opposed to the floating panels of Dreamweaver 4. The Document window is labeled A. Just above it is the Insert Panel, labeled B. While it can be moved and resized, its natural resting place in the MX workspace is just above the Document window. The Property Inspector, labeled C, is just below the Document window. Again, as with the Insert panel, the Property Inspector can be moved and resized, but is designed to fit just under the Document window, as in our illustration.

Figure 3

The Site Files

This is one of the bigger differences between the two workspace views. In the Dreamweaver 4 workspace, the site files are in a separate window (Figure 4). This window is accessed by going to the Site menu and choosing Site Files. In this example the local files are on the right, the remote files are on the left (they can be switched around by going to the Edit menu, choosing Preferences, and choosing the Site category).

Figure 4

In the Dreamweaver MX workspace, the Site Files are integrated into the larger window, on a panel at the right (labeled D in Figure 3). Unlike the Dreamweaver 4 workspace, the local and remote files are NOT shown at the same time. Rather, you switch between views using the pulldown menu (set to “local files” in the illustration). To get rid of the Site files, click the arrow centered in the left wall of the Site Files pane. To show them again, click the arrow again, or go to the Site menu and choose Site Files.

If you have any questions about any versions of Dreamweaver, or want me to walk you through using the software, please don’t hesitate to call me at 719-549-2045, or email me at jeffrey.wood@colostate.edu. The Dreamweaver training CD is now available as well - call or email if you’d like a copy. It explains the various views and workspaces, and shows you how to use Dreamweaver to build a website from the ground up.