The very first feature with which any user of previous DREAMWEAVER version will get impressed is the tweak in the User Interface to a style similar to the interface used on Macromedia’s revamped web site.
The Overhaul of the entire look and feel of the DREAMWEAVER environment includes following main features :
* More logical user interface that maximizes the usable workspace, and shows context and focus more clearly
* The insert bar has been updated ( you can switch between standard TABS view and new MENU view which takes less space)
* For those designers who had tough time coping with adjusting cell size, alignment and selecting regions of tables MX 2004
provides us with a completely new Expanded Layout ( besides Standard View and Layout View).
* Extremely helpful new Start screen, which appears when no document is open, gives you quick access to recently used files, and help and tutorial resources.
* Addition of ’’FAVORITES’’ tab in insert bar
Major changes that will force you to upgrade Dreamweaver MX to Dreamweaver MX 2004( in relative order of Importance):
Built in FIREWORKS image editing technology :
You can now use inbuilt image editing capabilities of MX 2004 to make changes in your web site images without even leaving Dreamweaver
( but this feature is pretty much limited to cropping, resizing and other minor manipulations)
Excellent Cross Browser Validation
This is one of the MOST important feature which web developers are surely going to enjoy like hell.
While coding its next to impossible to determine which css construct , or script can result in an error in a particular
browser. DWMX 2004 has got amazing intelligence in this regard and facilitates painless cross browser development.
After developing page DWMX 2004 warns the developer of possible browser conflict ( near the TITLE box.) User can
select target browsers and DWMX 2004 will highlight the constructs which can result in error. On rolling over to the
part of the code DWMX 2004 also displays which browser doesn’t support that particular version.
Secure FTP
You can use a suitable Version Control Software and use MX 2004 secure ftp (sftp) feature to avoid unauthorized access to code, data etc.
Amazing CSS Support :
One of the key changes in Dreamweaver is the ditching of font tags. All presentation is now handled through external style sheets.
New features include
css code hints.
Although Dreamweaver MX also supports CSS development nicely , this feature is an important advance over the last version.
Some of us may not appreciate this, but this switch to full CSS is clearly a step in the right direction.
Copy paste from MS word Excel
You can seamlessly copy paste data from MS word and MS excel preserving fonts, colors and formatting. Leverage full unicode support (including double bytes character sets). We need to use Edit >> Paste Formatted here .
CONS :
Dreamweaver MX 2004 , although very powerful, has plethora of tools ( for ASP.Net, ColdFusion, PHP , ASP development) which may be extremely confusing for novice web developers. They can go for less formidable Microsoft Product: MS FrontPage.
No major addition to Server Behaviors ( ASP , ASP.NET , COLD FUSION ). The Log-in Server behavior
is still missing for ASP.NET Developers ( though its very easy to code ). EXCEPTION :In PHP few server behaviors have been added)
No major Javascript functions(snippets) and behaviors added.(No new Flash buttons added)
Few bugs are there :
The style renaming feature does not work if several styles share the same definition.
There is no feature to find undefined or unused styles.
If you use entities that begin with & # in URLs in library files, then update the library files, it gets changed to (for example) & a m p ; # (Verified by Macromedia) The work-around is a site-wide global search and replace to repair potential damage before synchronizing the site.
Expensive tech-support options after the 90-day free period. However, after that, you must pay for a support plan. The most comprehensive plan, Gold, costs $3, 000, while the per-incident plan is $200 each time you call. Cost of DWMX 2004 is $399 and cost of upgrade is $199.
VALUE FOR MONEY :
If you are a professional web developer and have DWMX then you can resist this DWMX2004 temptation
( Using MM Contribute 2 with DWMX provides excellent business solutions ).
If you are a novice web developer may be you can try 30 day trial version and get the feel of the software.
However DWMX 2004 is worth giving a try.