How do I create a webpage in Dreamweaver WITHOUT using layers?

Question

I'm reading a lot about how we should not use layers and
tables when creating a website in Dreamweaver because of something
called "absolute placement" (or something), which is the reason the
text in my website is constantly misaligned or overlapping when
opened up in Firefox. Although, I've never had this problem before
for the past three years I've been using Dreamweaver to create my
sites, which is what's most frustrating I think.
So, I guess I'm wondering how, then, do I create a webpage in
Dreamweaver WITHOUT using layers and tables? The only thing I've
been able to do w/o layers/tables is to literally hit "enter" and
"tab" continuously until the cursor is somewhere close to where I
want it to be on the page. But that seems a little old-school (for
lack of a better term) to really be the way to do it.
Also, if I've used a lot of layers/tables already in my
website, is the general recommendation for be to rebuild my site
completely w/o layers/tables, or is it feasible for me to have
someone who knows HTML just come in and fix the actual HTML code
for me to make it all work?
Ideally, I just want something to help me fix this problem
w/o having to hire someone else to come in, cause I've been working
this site for about a year now and am just now finally getting it
up online only to find that the way it looks online is not the way
it looks in Dreamweaver. I'd really really appreciate any
suggestions/advice.
Thank you so much!

Answer 1

Hello,
The first bit of advice, which you may already be doing, it
to learn HTML
and CSS.
CSS is used to style and position elements.
Instead of adding numerous   to add spacing, for
example, you can use
CSS to add margins or padding to elements to move them away
from other
elements.
Also, IMHO there is nothing wrong with using tables,
specially as you learn.
You can also use <divs> and CSS to position them (a
table-less layout).
There are a number of threads in this forum comparing them
and giving many
designer's views.
It's Dreamweaver's "Layout Mode" you should stay away
from.Use "Standard
Mode"
It creates tables with rowspanss and colspans that are very
fragile.
Something as simple as a user having a different text size
setting in their
browser than what you had in yours when you designed can make
the page break
apart.
More info:
http://apptools.com/rants/spans.php
Also, "Layers" are an older DW term for AP Divs (Absolutely
Positioned).
They can cause you a lot of frustration.
More info:
http://apptools.com:80/examples/pagelayout101.php
I would strongly suggest you take a couple of hours to do
these tutorials.
They are a great introduction to using CSS, making a
stylesheet and using
DW's "wizards".
They are very well written, illustrated and easy to follow.
I promise you will walk away with a different outlook on how
you can design
a page.
They are not intended to replace learning HTML or CSS in any
way, I just
think it will benefit you greatly seeing what you can do.
http://projectseven.com/tutorials/css/css_td/index.htm
http://projectseven.com/tutorials/css/qdmacfly/index.htm
I hope that helps.
Take care,
Tim
"darkpwca" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm reading a lot about how we should not use layers and
tables when
> creating a
> website in Dreamweaver because of something called
"absolute placement"
> (or
> something), which is the reason the text in my website
is constantly
> misaligned
> or overlapping when opened up in Firefox. Although, I've
never had this
> problem
> before for the past three years I've been using
Dreamweaver to create my
> sites,
> which is what's most frustrating I think.
>
> So, I guess I'm wondering how, then, do I create a
webpage in Dreamweaver
> WITHOUT using layers and tables? The only thing I've
been able to do w/o
> layers/tables is to literally hit "enter" and "tab"
continuously until the
> cursor is somewhere close to where I want it to be on
the page. But that
> seems
> a little old-school (for lack of a better term) to
really be the way to do
> it.
>
> Also, if I've used a lot of layers/tables already in my
website, is the
> general recommendation for be to rebuild my site
completely w/o
> layers/tables,
> or is it feasible for me to have someone who knows HTML
just come in and
> fix
> the actual HTML code for me to make it all work?
>
> Ideally, I just want something to help me fix this
problem w/o having to
> hire
> someone else to come in, cause I've been working this
site for about a
> year now
> and am just now finally getting it up online only to
find that the way it
> looks
> online is not the way it looks in Dreamweaver. I'd
really really
> appreciate any
> suggestions/advice.
>
> Thank you so much!
>