1 – What are Dreamweaver Server Behaviors?

In a nutshell: Dreamweaver Server Behaviors are point-and-click tools that will write out the server-side code (PHP, ASP, ColdFusion) that will allow to do things like:

• Display and update records from a database.
• Create password protected pages.
• Process HTML forms.

Beyond the basic tools that come built into Dreamweaver CS3, there are lots of 3rd party plug-ins that extend its’ power where you can do all kinds of things that you would expect programmers to take care of.

For example, Adobe themselves have something called ‘Adobe Dreamweaver Developer Toolbox’ – often simply referred to as ‘ADDT’. From their site:

Adobe® Dreamweaver® Developer Toolbox is a set of Dreamweaver server behaviors and commands for creating dynamic web applications using PHP, Adobe ColdFusion®, and ASP VBScript server scripting technologies. This Dreamweaver extension helps web developers create membership-based websites, portals, blogs, and image galleries, as well as content management systems, CRM back-ends, and other web-based solutions without requiring advanced programming knowledge.

Sounds great, except in real life … it ain’t so sweet. So much so in fact (the rumor has it) that ADDT will be discontinued.

Let’s get to the point:

Dreamweaver’s Server Behaviors are NOT a replacement for good old fashioned programming ability – not even close. You should only use Server Behaviors to:

• Create very simple database driven pages.
• To prototype a web application.

2- What’s wrong with Dreamweaver’s Server Behaviors?

Basically, the code that Dreamweaver generates, is organized/disorganized in a brittle way – it is easily broken when you make even minor changes.

I don’t want to get into the nerd-details, but what I can tell you is that if you do anything beyond the very simple, you will end up breaking your code along the way.

… Most of time, you will end up having to rewrite the code by hand anyway … loosing any time savings you might have gained using the server behaviors.

What can a web designer do?

So what’s the solution for web designers who need to build dynamic web sites beyond the limitations of Dreamweaver Server Behaviors? Simple, learn to program!

… It reall isn’t that hard if you can find good tutorials or better yet, good video tutorials on server side programming.

Thanks for reading.

Stefan

Yes, I do have my finger on the pulse of the nerd-zeitgeist and from what I understand, Dreamweaver CS4 is coming out sooner than later. I’m guessing sometime this winter.

Are there any details?

I’m not sure what is coming (in terms of new features), but I have heard what is leaving and not coming back:

• ASP.net support.
• Layout Mode and Timelines.
• JSP support

Some speculation:

I am guessing that Adobe will position Dreamweaver to be more web developer centric than designer centric.

Not that they will turn Dreamweaver into a glorified text editor, I just get the feeling that they will spend more time on the coding end of things, than on the design end.

My thinking is based on the work Adobe has done with Flash CS3 and especially Actionscript 3.0.

… It is clear with AS3, that Adobe made the decision to make the Flash scripting language more appealing to hard-core programmers than to designers. AS3 is much more powerful but it is more complex and harder to learn than Actionscript 2.

That said, please do keep in mind that when it comes to what may be coming in Dreamweaver CS4 … it is total speculation on my part.

CIAO,

Stefan Mischook