Creating a common CSS file

The very first time you create a new CSS style in Dreamweaver, you should create a common style sheet file that can be used by all the pages on your site. This is one big advantage to using Cascading Style Sheets for your site's formatting: the ability to store your styles in one common, central location, where any edits/revisions you make will be reflected on all the pages throughout your site.

The process to create a new common style sheet file for your site is not one of Dreamweaver's strong points ... it might be a bit confusing at first. So let's go through the process one step at a time and you can always refer back to this page in the learning materials to help you create your common style sheet file when you are outside the classroom.

1. Start by clicking the icon for a new CSS Style.
   
   
2. Click the radio button to indicate the type of CSS Style you are creating (in this case, we will be Redefining an HTML Tag.
   
   
3. In the "Define In" area, click the radio button next to the pulldown menu that displays New Style Sheet File. This tells Dreamweaver you will be creating a new style sheet file (CSS file).
   
   
4. Click OK. Dreamweaver will jump to the "Save Style Sheet File As" dialogue box. This box will look like the finder/explorer for your operating system. Navigate to the top level of your site (where you can see all the folders within your website).
   
   
5. Under the File Name area, create a filename that ends with the extension .css, and make sure the pulldown menu for "Save As Type" indicates a Style Sheet File (*.css). See screen capture below.
   
   
   
   
   
6. When you click the Save button, Dreamweaver will create your new style sheet file, and will take you directly to your style specifications dialogue box, where you can select the formatting for your style.
   
   
7. Once your common style sheet file has been saved, whenever you create a new style, simply select the name of your style sheet from the pulldown menu next to the "Define In" area and your new styles will be saved into the same style sheet file where you created your first style definition.