Product Description

Provides everything you need to know to install and configure HomeSite 4, simplify Web page development, and debugging applications with Studio's interactive remote debugger in 24 sessions of one hour or less. Softcover.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1561380 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 338 pages

Amazon.com Review
Allaire's Web page design program, HomeSite, takes the time and trouble out of building a site by sidestepping the process of learning HTML. In Sams Teach Yourself HomeSite 4 in 24 Hours, author Ben Forta gives you a crash course on creating and then assembling the numerous components of your Web site using this powerful online document authoring tool.

HomeSite distinguishes itself from other Web authoring tools because it provides the user with a "What You See Is What You Need" (WYSIWYN) interface rather than the more common "What You See Is What You Get" flavor of designing. Forta ably shows you how to construct many of the rudimentary pieces of your site such as text, links, images, and tables. To teach you how to manage your pages, the book discusses and demonstrates HomeSite's Tag tools as well as its support of dynamic HTML (DHMTL), JavaScript, Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL), and cascading style sheets.

While the book caters well to new users by providing step-by-step guidance through the software's composition tools, experienced Web designers working on larger scales should find the text dedicated to HomeSite's project management capabilities extremely helpful. The accompanying CD-ROM includes all of the code samples used in the book as well as a copy of HomeSite version 4. --Ryan Kuykendall

From Library Journal
HomeSite is an excellent html text editor for Windows; its built-in menus for all aspects of web design make it a great learning tool for new html users. Forta gives a very good introduction to HomeSite 4, covering basic HTML, fonts, color, stylesheets, validation, working remotely, and connecting to ColdFusion databases. A copy of HomeSite 4 comes on the CD. This book for beginners will be checked out often.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover
Sams Teach Yourself HomeSite 4 in 24 Hours shows you how to create, manage, and deploy web sites using HomeSite 4. Learn to take full advantage of the powerful HomeSite application. All of the tools are covered in detail, including the edit and browse views, tree views, site management tools, color palette and graphics tools, project management, application wizards, menus, toolbars, keyboard shortcuts, and customization options. This book provides tips and tricks available in version 4.0, straight from the people who wrote the product.

Customer Reviews

Best book I have read on Web Page Construction
In reality the course is only 20 hours long. The last four hours consist of an Introduction to Cold Fusion Studio.

It took me longer than 20 hours to complete this course. Probably twice as long. I performed every exercise and added a few of my own. I enjoyed this manual so much I hated to put it down. In fact, the night I completed it I just looked at my computer with reverence dwelling on the knowledge I had received.

I don't know whether it is HomeSite 4.0 or Ben Forta that inspired me. There is no doubt in my mind that the program is outstanding and a joy to use, but Ben Forta's presentation and method of teaching are also outstanding. He answered hundreds of questions for me that I did not even know I wanted to ask.

Ben covered authoring and editing explanations, a detailed method of installing HomeSite and help on choosers, tag editors, inspectors, tips, hints and on line procedures. He devoted one whole chapter on configuring and customizing the HomeSite application and the reasons why. He color-coded and indented the editor so well it reads almost as well as a novel. He reviewed HTML page formatting and offered a simplified understandable explanation of RGB color. He inserted many hints; for example "Browsers will only display a table after it is received". "It may be a good idea to start a new page with a small table for quick page exposure".

Frames. Love them? Hate them? Why to use. Why not to use. Printing frames. Target links. All items the novice would never know but explained very simply in this manual.

Ben demonstrated how to edit a completed page, a subject necessary and interesting to all web page authors. He introduced the basics and displayed the results of codesweeper "a power house application". He introduced CSS, Cascading Style Sheets, a term that is very intimidating, but so simple when Ben explains it. It is a method of standardizing style on a web page using procedures very familiar to most of us.

Managing your web site is covered in detail and the use of code templates, snippets, projects plus other site management tools are introduced and used, including tag verification, download time and automatic link verification (which is awesome).

FTP protocol and its use are explained thoroughly but simply. This is Ben Forta's thing. You understand what he is instructing and know the subject after he is done. He may take issue with me but I compare FTP with UPS (United Parcel Service). UPS delivers and receives the package and FTP delivers and receives the file.

It is the last two study sessions that really excited me as a student. I followed all of Ben's instructions and by simply substituting my local codes on his page examples I was loading and retrieving my html pages on the web in no time at all. It is so simple yet so exciting. But the real treat came when I gained access to the web and edited the remote (Internet) site without using my local directory. This to me was exhilarating and gave me a sense of power and control. It was here that I gazed at my computer in reverence and reflected over what I had learned and accomplished.

I say "Thank You Ben Forta" . "It has been a real experience being in your head for 20 to 40 hours". "I am a lot better off for it".

One more thing, this is the best book I have ever read on Web Page construction.

Joe Dora

A Good Start, but...
The minute I tried HomeSite software, I knew it was for me. But, I had a few problems with their terminology, and couldn't get FTP to work. I bought this book, currently the only one on the market, and while it did answer almost all my questions, it left a few unanswered.

There's no glossary, no worthwhile appendix, and I have no idea what's on the CD: an evaluation copy of HomeSite 4? Example pages from the book? Additional material? I don't dare load it in case it overwrites my current HomeSite 4.5.

I was wondering why HomeSite duplicates my files and tacks an "hs~" in the filename. The book doesn't mention these mystery files. I hate that.

I found some chapters needed serious beefing up. Style Sheets, for example, barely mentions page-level styles and the Working Remotely chapter could use some trouble-shooting tips. I still can only get FTP to work when I cross my fingers and say three Hail Marys.

AND THE WORST THING IS ... there really are only 20 "hours" (chapters) devoted to HomeSite, not 24. The last 4 chapters deal with ColdFusion Studio, a totally separate program!

Would I recommend you buy this book? Yes, it does answer most basic questions adequately, and for now, it's the only book around. You will use it, and it will help you. But it could be better.

Don't start HomeSite without this book!
I wish I had purchased this book before I started using HomeSite! I have learned of so many features of HomeSite that I didn't know existed. This book is a must-have for anyone who is into, thinking about, or curious about web publishing.