Adobe Dreamweaver Web Design Software Review

Adobe Dreamweaver Web Design Software Review

Online presence is about more than just being online, and Adobe has an app for that.

Adobe Dreamweaver is web design software that allows you to code your own site without much coding knowledge. It's a bit more in-depth than website builders, but using HTML and visual editing, just about anyone can pick up and play. If you're willing to put in a little work, you have the power to create truly professional designs.

Like most Adobe products, Dreamweaver is only available through a Creative Cloud subscription, but this gives you access to the latest updates: The last major release came in June 2022, bringing the software up to version 21.3.

For the standalone app, Dreamweaver starts at €21/€20 per month. It's also on the CC All Apps plan, from €53 / €52. This has included software with Photoshop, Lightroom, and InDesign.

This means you can design assets in Adobe Illustrator and move them directly into Dreamweaver. Or edit a movie in Premiere Pro and then add it to your web page. Everything is designed to work together. There are many interface similarities between Adobe applications, making it easy to switch between them as part of your workflow.

Start creating

Let's get started, don't be too intimidated, at least not so soon... (Image credit: Adobe)

Adobe Dreamweaver: Getting Started

As you'd expect, Dreamweaver supports all web standards, from basic HTML to CSS, Javascript, and all modern features, including Bootstrap. It focuses on creating responsive websites that adapt to the device the visitor is viewing it on (be it a computer, tablet or phone), but of course there is nothing stopping you from creating non-responsive sites and telling your site that redirects to specific pages depending on the device it is being viewed on.

Models

Dreamweaver has a handful of templates to get you started (Image credit: Adobe)

If you're new to Dreamweaver, the application offers some templates to get you started. These are great to start with, so to speak, and can often be more helpful than staring at a blank page.

There aren't many templates to choose from, though, and don't be fooled into thinking Dreamweaver will do all the work for you—consider the placeholders for inspiration to go ahead and customize these pages yourself.

Live preview

Check out a live preview of your site and drag and drop elements directly where you want them (Image credit: Adobe)

Adobe Dreamweaver: Website Designer

The interface is divided into several sections that can be customized to some extent. The sidebar on the left side gives you access to common commands like opening documents, managing files, and live view options.

The tabs on the right allow you to manage your site's files and CC libraries. There's a list of elements you can drag and drop onto your page, as well as a section for designing cascading style sheets.

And the main part of the interface is dedicated to your code or a preview of the page you're creating.

resolutions

See how your site will look by simulating different screens and resolutions (Image credit: Adobe)

You can easily switch between seeing a full preview of your page (with options to simulate how the page looks on different screen sizes), just looking at the code, or a combination of both.

Properties

The properties window helps you make quick changes to highlighted items (Image credit: Adobe)

To modify parts of your page (such as an image or text), displaying the Properties flyout will allow you to make the changes you need. There's even an easy way to drag a target icon onto another image in the File tab for quick and easy image switching.

A pesar de estas características, if no tiene conocimientos de codificación, se loserá con bastante rapidez. Yes, you can drag and drop items from the "Insert" tab onto the page preview, but that will only get you so far, and you'll find that you'll have to dive into code quickly and often to bring the cambios. usted necessary.

However, Dreamweaver tries to make it easy for you: it highlights the text in the preview section, and the same text is highlighted in the code, reducing the time you'd spend looking for the same section. The reverse is also true: highlight some code and the section it relates to is highlighted in the preview area.

That's probably one of the reasons why we think split view is the best option because it allows you to drag and drop elements and then dive into the code to make the changes you need in a matter of seconds.

Code tips

Code hint is a great way to auto-complete as you type (Image credit: Adobe)

Another improvement we liked was code hints – just like when you're typing on a phone and the interface gives you a selection of words it thinks you're typing so you can select the right one. write code in Dreamweaver and be guided as you go. This not only helps you type faster, but it can also help you write code accurately and avoid typos. We believe that it can be very beneficial for both professionals and beginners.

Adobe Dreamweaver: Support

"Help" takes you to Adobe's Dreamweaver online knowledge base (opens in a new tab) for tutorials and a comprehensive user guide. The forum section can help you locate other people who have encountered similar issues that he might be struggling with, and hopefully show you how to resolve them.

If that's not enough, you can chat with an Adobe representative. When we tested this, the person we were chatting with came back quickly with the answers we needed.

Adobe Dreamweaver: Final Verdict

Dreamweaver is a huge and complex program and this review has barely scratched its surface, but we hope you can see that there's a lot to like here. Many features are designed to help you build sites quickly and efficiently, as long as you don't mind digging into the code. Dreamweaver won't do everything for you, but it will do everything it can to facilitate your creative process.

However, if your knowledge of HTML is limited or even non-existent, we recommend starting with a different app or service, as it may seem too daunting. Conversely, if you already have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, there is very little reason not to try this program, especially since the support features are comprehensive and the support service is very knowledgeable.

Adobe Dreamweaver CC offers

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