Does a plaintiff have to appeal a judgment of dismissal that was entered before the trial court entered judgment?

^3. Dolinger filed her notice of appeal 12 days before the trial court entered judgment. Although Dolinger filed the notice of appeal before entry of judgment, we exercise our discretion to hear her premature appeal. (See Los Altos Golf and Country Club v. County of Santa Clara (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 198, 202 ["[b]ecause a judgment of dismissal has actually been entered, we will liberally construe the appeal to have been taken from the judgment of dismissal"].)

^4. Undesignated statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure.