Intermediate Dreamweaver

Library of Page Elements

The Library is part of the Assets Window. It allows you to store pieces of a page and insert them anywhere on any page in your site when you need them. For instance, you can create a 'contact me' library item, a 'copyright' item, or 'paper guidelines' and insert them wherever necessary.

Creating a Library Item

To access the Library area, go into the Asset window and click on the Library icon

To add a new library item, click on the menu the upper right of the Assets window, and choose 'New Library Item'

or click on the Add Library Item icon in the lower right .

A new item will be added:

Type in a name for it, such as ContactInfo. (If the Name [Untitled] becomes unselected, click on the name repeatedly until it is selected again.)

(If you have a section of the web page selected/highlighted when you choose 'Add Library Item', that selected section will be automatically converted into the library item.)

Then, to edit your item, either right-click on it and choose Edit from the menu, or click on the Edit Item icon in the lower right .

A new Dreamweaver window will come up, and you can create the library item there:

When you are finished editing, choose Save from the File menu in the Library Item window.

The Assets window will change to display the Library item
:

You can then close the Library Item document window.

Using a Library Item

Place your cursor the point in the document where you want to insert the item, and selet the library item from the Library window/Assets. Then click the 'Insert' button in the lower left of the Assets window to insert the item.

For assistance, contact Jennifer Heise, at jahb@lehigh.edu or x83072, or call/email the LTS Helpdesk: x8HELP or helpdesk@lehigh.edu.

Note: if you later edit the Library item, you will see a window asking whether you want to update the Library item in the pages it is already inserted in:

To have the changes you made applied to the files that already have the library item in them, click Update.

If you don't wish this instance of the library item to be updated when the library item is updated, click on it and choose Detach from Original:

February 5, 2004