How do I call up the Property Inspector?

If you can't see the Property Inspector or, for that matter, any of Dreamweaver's panels, pull down the Window menu and click on the one you want to open. A list of shortcut keys that will help you quickly access all of Dreamweaver's panels can be found at the end of Chapter 2, “Interface.”

I defined my site for a chapter, but files that are listed in the exercises aren't there. What happened?

This could be because when you were defining the site you specified a folder that was inside the chapter folder, instead of the chapter folder itself. Go ahead and redefine the site. (If you need to revisit these steps, visit Exercise 1 in Chapter 3, "Site Control".)

Note: Selecting the correct folder is done differently on Mac and Windows, as shown below.

• Macintosh: When you're browsing to define the chapter folder and the Choose Local Folder dialog box pops up, notice how there's both an Open and a Choose option. Highlight the chapter folder, and click Choose. Don't click Open, because you would then define as your site an interior folder, instead of the main folder. This is opposite to the way Windows users define their sites.
• Windows: When you're browsing to define the chapter folder and the Choose Local Folder dialog box pops up, select the chapter folder. First click Open. After the folder is opened, click Select. This is opposite to the way Macintosh users define their site.

Where's the Color panel?

Because it's context sensitive, the Color panel only appears when you click in one of Dreamweaver's color wells. Color wells appear inside the Property Inspector and the Page Properties dialog box.

I just specified a Tracing Image in my Page Properties window, but I can't see it when I preview the page in my browser. Panic is starting to set in!

The Tracing Image is a template to be used for layout in Dreamweaver. It is invisible in the browser window, so if you don't see it, that's the whole point! It's there for your reference only, and your end users will never see it.

I put one layer on top of another! How do I delete it?

To delete a layer, select it by the handle at its top and hit Delete. You can also use the Layers panel to select the layer, which might be easier in some cases where they overlap. Of course, there's always the universal undo command, Cmd+Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows).

When I convert layers to tables, I get an error message stating that one of the layers is off-screen. How did this happen, and how do I fix it?

It is possible to create a layer and move it, using the arrow keys, so that it is partially or fully off-screen. This is actually handy for images that you want to have bleed off the edge, or animations that begin outside the document window. When converting layers to tables, however, it won't work! If you can locate the offending layer, click on its edge and use the arrow keys to move it back into the screen area. If you can't find the layer, try opening the Layers window (Window > Layers) and selecting each layer name that appears inside the window. Eventually, you'll be able to figure out which layer is on or off the screen by process of elimination.

Why do I get the message, “To make a document-relative path, your document should be saved first”? I can't figure out what this gibberish means!

Hey, we're with you. It would be nice if the dialog box simply stated, “Save your file now, or Dreamweaver can't keep track of your files,” because that's all it's asking you to do. Sigh. If only developers knew how to speak in non-technical terms at times, eh? All you need to do is click OK and save your file (inside the defined site), and Dreamweaver won't bark any more.

Why do I get the message that my file is located outside of the root folder?

Dreamweaver is asking you to move the file into the root folder that you've defined as your site. If you work with files outside your defined root folder, Dreamweaver cannot keep track of your links or manage your site, which is counterproductive to the way the program is structured and to your workflow. Though this message is annoying, it is actually helping you maintain a healthy site without experiencing broken links and problems uploading your files when you publish it.

Note: There are different ways to handle this message, depending on the system you are running.

• Macintosh: You should click Yes, and then browse to the correct folder. At that point you will be prompted to save, which you should do.
• Windows: You should click Yes, and Dreamweaver will automatically pop you into the correct folder. Click save, and the file will be moved.

Why aren't my templates working?

If you leave a template file open and work on another site (such as another chapter in this book that you've defined as a different site), Dreamweaver can't keep track of your templates. It's best to work on a single site at a time, and not flip between sites while leaving files open from another defined site. This is true with all Dreamweaver documents, although templates and libraries are particularly sensitive to site-definition confusion.

When I try to locate class files, why can't I see the file extensions at the end of file names, such as .gif, .jpg, and .html?

On Windows, you will need to change your Preferences to view file name extensions. Instructions to do this are inside the “Introduction.”