Chapter 37: Working with Libraries and Templates

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Overview

When developing or maintaining a Web site, it makes sense to work as efficiently and effortlessly as possible. In Dreamweaver, library items and Dreamweaver templates can lock down, modify, and update specific elements or entire pages in your site.

In this chapter, you see how to use library items to build page elements that are easily updated, allowing Dreamweaver to do all the grunt work of maintaining accurate paths to images and files. Build a library item by selecting page elements and clicking New Library Item. Drag library items from the Assets panel to your pages. When you need to modify an item, open, edit, and update. Dreamweaver does the rest of the work.

You also learn how to work with Dreamweaver templates to add more pages to a site, while maintaining a consistent, yet editable layout. Templates are like library items at the page level; you can use them to lock or modify multiple elements. New template features in Dreamweaver MX include editable Head regions, optional editable areas, editing of tag attributes, and even nested templates.

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