Even if you don’t know one bit of PHP, the Dreamweaver PHP buttons can help you create database functions on your webpages. Learn more in this lesson on Dreamweaver and PHP/SQL

Ill admit that I am not a coder and I don’t know much more than a tiny bit of PHP at the time of writing this. However, I have managed to create database driven webpages, and even password protected members only areas due to the extremely easy to use PHP buttons in Dreamweaver.

If you are interested in learning to do this for yourself, this lesson will point you in the right direction so that you can experiment and see for yourself how easy it is.

The first thing you need to do is to create an SQL database on your webhost. This can be done via CPanel or if not that, then ask your host how…anyways, creating an SQL database with 1 table is not hard.

The key is, to create it, record the information and then try to log in to that database via Dreamweaver.

You can do this by creating a new database connection in the ‘Application’ window of Dreamweaver.

This is one of the most challenging parts, and you’ll need to set up the site’s testing server. At first this can be tricky, but if you stick with it and get connected to your SQL databas via Dreamweaver, you’ll soon find ways to insert records, display records, and much more!

You see, once you are connected to the database, the table names will dynamically show up in Dreamweaver, and from there it is only a short step to learn how to insert records, repeat records, and display data in the database.

Of course reading a book can help you with PHP, but it is also fun to just jump right in the Dreamweaver buttons.

Even a total PHP dunce like myself was able to start creating little PHP/SQL applications once I figured out these basic steps.

So if you want to create PHP applications, but don\’t know how to hand-code PHP, create a PHP/SQL database with 1 table, figure out how to connect to it via Dreamweaver, and start messing around with the Dreamweaver PHP buttons.

In a few hours time you’ll see what creating PHP/SQL applications in Dreamweaver is all about.

For more information on Dreamweaver including step by step video tutorials, visit http://www.dreamweaverhowto.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/using-php-buttons-in-dreamweaver-74804.html

About the Author

Jay Gilbert offers step by step guides for people who want to sell info products online. Sign up for the free Dreamweaver tips training course.

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Jay Gilbert

The most popular web authoring tool for assembling websites is Dreamweaver. A normal site will have various different types of media on it. It is important to understand what Dreamweaver can and cant do in terms of editing your website. You should always remember that its primary purpose is to generate and edit code.

Dreamweaver can do a number of things when it comes to graphics. It is possible to resize and reposition your images on your webpage. However if you are trying to edit the graphic further than resizing then youll require a copy of Photoshop or GIMP. Dreamweaver does allow you to to put borders round images or make them hyperlinks. Animated GIFs can also be manipulated in this way but Dreamweaver cannot edit the animation frames. Rollover graphics on the other hand are a different matter. Dreamweaver provides a handy wizard for making images change when you move the mouse over them. Dreamweaver does this by adding Javascript to your code. All these techniques have an associated Dreamweaver tutorial online if you wish to pursue them further.

Flash animations can also be positioned and resized using Dreamweaver. You should be cautious when resizing them though as expanding them can effect how the animation plays out. For creating and editing animations Dreamweaver is not appropriate. A copy of Adobe Flash would be needed for those means. It is also not possible to edit video or audio clips in Dreamweaver however you can use it to embed relevant players for your clips. When it comes to audio editing you can download a copy of Audacity for free on the web. With video editing you may struggle to find a worthwhile free editor and it might be worth considering purchasing a copy of Final Cut. All the aforementioned techniques have a relevant Dreamweaver tutorial.

Dreamweaver can also be used to generate some simple PHP code. For example, you can add buttons and text fields to your webpage to create forms. Then in turn you can use one of its wizards to connect to your database. This is pretty basic PHP though, if youre looking to do something more complex like setting up a subscription plan or ecommerce on your website youll need to code this yourself as Dreamweaver does not provide wizards for it. Anything concerning money should be researched carefully and gone about with caution. If you mislead a customer in any way you could end up breaking the law.

The main advantage of Dreamweaver is that it lets you to preview your site while you code and also lets you directly adjust the design without adjusting the code. The tools are there to format text, create shapes and adjust images to build up a site how you want it to display. External files including images, animations and embedded players can be repositioned and such but for sophisticated editing you will require different software. If you find yourself doing something complicated and cant work out which feature to use youd be good to find a Dreamweaver tutorial on the web.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/the-restrictions-and-capabilities-of-dreamweaver-1985507.html

About the Author

Mark Kostner has been building websites for over 5 years and runs http://www.dreamweavermadesimple.com, an online web dreamweaver design course teaching everday people how to build a website