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Fred Brack
Inspiring
August 9, 2021
Answered

"How to" Questions

  • August 9, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 554 views

I've learned a lot about using Dreamweaver in the past few months, transitioning from MS Expression Web, but I am left with some frustrating behaviors or lack of knowledge on how to perform simple procedures.  Can users of this forum help answer these questions?

  1. Is there really no SHORTCUT for turning a phrase or image into a hyperlink?  Must I use Insert / Hyperlink?
  2. With all the emphasis on accessibility these days, I'm shocked that DW doesn't insist upon or even make it easy to add Alt Text to images.  It would appear that after adding an image (Ctrl-Alt-I) I have to then press Ctrl-F3 to bring up properties to get to the Alt Text field (they could have popped that up automatically).  Am I missing an easier way to do these both at once?
  3. If I select, for example, some text in a paragraph and press Ctrl-F3, I get the properties box in which I can choose a CLASS.  How do I specify TWO or more classes?
  4. In Design mode, if I hit Ctrl-F to FIND something, DW insists on dropping me into SPLIT mode before I type.  How do I defeat that annoying "feature"?
  5. Finally, if I open a file, page down in DESIGN mode, select some text, and then select CODE, I would expect the CODE page to open at the area I selected ... but no, it starts at the top and I have to page down to find my selection.  Really?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
- Fred

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Jon Fritz

    1. The Properties window should pretty much always be open. Highlighting text or an image and then entering the link there will create the link. However, if you want to have a pop up instead, you can....
         a. Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts
         b. Create a new set of shortcuts (you can't modify the original)
         c. With your new set selected, choose Menu Commands from the Commands dropdown (if it's not already)
         d. Click the chevron by Edit to open the list
         e. Click the chevron by Link to open that list
         f. Click Make Link to activate it
         g. In the Press Key field, hit the shortcut you would like to use (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L should be available)
         h. Click the Change button, then OK. From there on out, the shortcut will open a window to browse to a file

    2. It used to, however it became so obnoxious that many, many people requested it be turned off. Open your Properties Window (Ctrl + F3) then click and drag it's name tab to the bottom of your application frame until you see a blue highlight appear. Release it to lock it to the bottom of your application window. Enter the Alt info there whenever you add an image.

    3. The easiest way to add multiple classes to a single element is in code view. The Properties Window has never been that great while working with CSS.

    4. The Find in current File option is part of Split. Find & Replace in Files (Ctrl + Shift + F) is its own dialogue window.

    5. What version of DW and OS are you using? The reason I ask is because in the current version, 21.1 build 15413, the behavior you want is how mine functions, under Windows 10 anyway.

    2 replies

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 9, 2021

    If you want a good experience in Dreamweaver, forget about awkward "design panels."  Working with code is much faster, simpler & more precise  -- particularly with DW's code hints and auto-code completion features.

     

    Hyperlinks are simple.  Especially when linking to assets that reside in your local site folder. 

    1. Open Properties (Ctrl + F3).

    2. Highlight text or image and browse to intended target from the Properties panel.  Image Attributes are on the far right.  See screenshot.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
      F
      Fred BrackAuthor
      Inspiring
      August 9, 2021

      Thank you, Nancy.  I fiddled with this and I see the advantage for at least some of the time.  Now that I'm leaving the Properties panel open, this will be an easier process, at least for some of my links -- especially for image links where I can kill two birds (alt text and link) with one stone!

      - Fred

      Jon Fritz
      Community Expert
      Jon FritzCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 10, 2021

      If you'd like to get a little more screen real estate back while designing, you can double-click on the Properties Window name tab to collapse it when you don't need it, then single-click it to expand it to enter information. It will shrink down to about the height of a single line of code when collapsed.

        Jon Fritz
        Community Expert
        Jon FritzCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
        Community Expert
        August 9, 2021

        1. The Properties window should pretty much always be open. Highlighting text or an image and then entering the link there will create the link. However, if you want to have a pop up instead, you can....
             a. Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts
             b. Create a new set of shortcuts (you can't modify the original)
             c. With your new set selected, choose Menu Commands from the Commands dropdown (if it's not already)
             d. Click the chevron by Edit to open the list
             e. Click the chevron by Link to open that list
             f. Click Make Link to activate it
             g. In the Press Key field, hit the shortcut you would like to use (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + L should be available)
             h. Click the Change button, then OK. From there on out, the shortcut will open a window to browse to a file

        2. It used to, however it became so obnoxious that many, many people requested it be turned off. Open your Properties Window (Ctrl + F3) then click and drag it's name tab to the bottom of your application frame until you see a blue highlight appear. Release it to lock it to the bottom of your application window. Enter the Alt info there whenever you add an image.

        3. The easiest way to add multiple classes to a single element is in code view. The Properties Window has never been that great while working with CSS.

        4. The Find in current File option is part of Split. Find & Replace in Files (Ctrl + Shift + F) is its own dialogue window.

        5. What version of DW and OS are you using? The reason I ask is because in the current version, 21.1 build 15413, the behavior you want is how mine functions, under Windows 10 anyway.

          F
          Fred BrackAuthor
          Inspiring
          August 9, 2021

          Jon, thank you so much for a great set of answers!  So based on your responses, I have ...

          1. Opened and moved the Properties panel to the bottom of the screen where it "sticks."  I will sacrifice the screen space for it.
          2. I have created a shortcut for Insert Hyperlink.  I didn't realize how easy it was to create a new shortcut (or change an existing one).  The only problem I ran into was that I wanted to use Ctrl-K (like Expression Web does); but it was assigned to Quick Docs, and I couldn't find any way to change the Quick Docs shortcut, since it is not in a menu.  That's OK:  I can live with Ctrl-L!
          3. I will use Ctrl-H instead of Ctrl-F to FIND words in Design mode from now on.  Odd, but OK.
          4. I will reluctantly continue to use Code view to add multiple classes, and hopefully Adobe will offer a better solution in the future.

          As regards my last item, which you say works OK for you, we both have the same version of DW.  What I found is that if I open a document in Design mode, switch momentarily to Code view, then back to Design to select my phrase, switching back to Code view works OK (shows the highlighted phrase) ... as it would also do if the document opened originally in Code view and I switched over to Design view.  This seems like a bug to me, as there is no reason to operate this way, but at least I have a workaround.

           

          So again, thank you for your responses!

          - Fred

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