Dreamweaver MX: The Missing Manual

Tutorial: Displaying Database Information

In this tutorial, you’ll continue the work you started in the last chapter. The classified ads section of the Cosmopolitan Farmer Web site requires two dynamic pages. The first will display a list of all classified ads currently running in Cosmo Farmer. From that page, visitors can jump to a detailed description of an item for sale by clicking its name. You’ll learn how to create both basic and advanced recordsets and take advantage of some of Dreamweaver’s built-in application objects.

To get started, download the files and complete the tutorial in Chapter 21. If you haven’t yet done this, turn to page 621 and follow the instructions for preparing the application server, database, and Dreamweaver for this project.

Creating a Recordset

You’ll start by opening an existing page and adding a recordset to it.

1. Open classifieds.asp in the root folder of the local site you defined in the previous chapter.

   Either choose File→Open and navigate to and select classifieds.asp, or double-click the file name in the Site Files panel.

   Note

   ASP.NET Note

   You can follow along with this tutorial using the ASP.NET server model. Open the file called ASPNETclassifieds.aspx and follow along. Boxes like this one will appear when the instructions for .NET differ from ASP.

   The basic structure of this page is already complete. It was built using tables, image rollovers, Cascading Style sheets, and the other HTML features you’ve already learned. There’s nothing dynamic ...