Dreamweaver CS6: The Missing Manual

Modifying AP Element Properties

Once you add an AP element, you don’t need to go back to the CSS Rule Definition window to edit many of its positioning properties. Using the Property Inspector, you can rename, resize, move, and align the div with other AP elements, and set many other properties.

But first, you have to select the AP element using one of these methods:

• Click the AP element’s selection handle (see Figure 9-22).

• Click the AP element’s border. The border turns red when you move your mouse into the proper position.

• Click the AP element marker that indicates the HTML code for the absolutely positioned item. (Out of the box, Dreamweaver hides these markers, since they can get in the way of your design work; to show them, see the note on Note.)

And if those aren’t enough ways to select an AP element—Adobe’s programmers never sleep—you can also Shift-click one. This Shift-click technique offers another advantage: you can select multiple AP elements simultaneously and set the properties of (or align) many AP elements at once. If you’re working in an AP element or have an AP element selected, Shift-clicking another AP element selects them both. You can continue to Shift-click to select additional AP elements. (Shift-click a second time to deselect a selected element.)

Resizing Absolutely Positioned Elements

When you select an AP element, eight handles appear around its edges element (see Figure 9-22). You can drag any of them to change the element’s dimensions. The corner handles ...