Don’t be fooled. Although the .5 might give the impression that Dreamweaver CS5.5 is a point release, it’s anything but. Dreamweaver engineers have packed a stunning amount of new features into this version. To mention just a few, there’s code hinting for the popular jQuery JavaScript library, the ability to see what pages will look like at different screen resolutions without leaving the Document window, support for jQuery Mobile widgets, and integration of PhoneGap to build native apps for Android or iOS (the operating system used in the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch).

The emphasis in Dreamweaver CS5.5 is firmly on mobile development and designing for multiple screens, but that’s not all. There’s improved support for HTML5 and CSS3, including tools to simplify the creation of rounded corners and drop shadows without images. Previous versions of Dreamweaver supported only a limited range of CSS selectors. Live view now supports them all. Oh yes, Dreamweaver CS5.5 supports web fonts, too.

There’s a lot to absorb, and this book aims to guide you through all the new features with the help of three case studies. The first one centers on redesigning a website for display on desktops, tablets, and smartphones using HTML5, CSS3, and media queries. The second takes a cutdown version of the same site and builds a dedicated mobile version using jQuery Mobile, a sophisticated JavaScript and CSS framework designed to work consistently on all major mobile platforms. The final case study develops a simple app that stores information in a database, accesses a mobile phone’s GPS sensor, and displays a map.