Web design software, which is best?

[GreenMartian]

Anyone have any feedback about which web design software is best when comparing Marcromedia Dreamweaver/Fireworks and the Adobe GoLive/LiveMotion.

[tavenger5]

I haven't used them extensively but they're basically all the same. WYSIWYG. I like to stick with the code and use Homesite 5. (I started out using v2 and it's how I learned HTML) I suppose if I were to buy any of them I'd get Dreamweaver. It's template features are pretty cool.

IMO, GoLive is just Adobe's answer to dreamweaver.

[Ron Roos]

Dreamweaver UltraDev is my favorite... it's super-expandable, and has been setting the standard for years (dreamweaver, in general, that is).... There's a new one out called 1st page, which isn't too shabby, because it has a JAVA editor built into it... as well as a CSS editor.... I like the code display, but still, doesn't touch Dreamweaver, as far as getting the job done.... Golive is ok, in that the tabbed page display is kinda neat.... this solves the "floating" properties window hassle dreamweaver hasn't dealt with yet... that's about the only feature I could stand to do without in DW, is the floating properties window..

RR

[lang]

I like coding myself. I use another WYSIWYG Editor. The Html-Editor by Ulli Meybohm - one of the most famous in Germany.
[ http://www.meybohm.de ]

[20ishparents.co]

My personal fav is Homesite also.. and raw html...

[kevinreader]

I always use Macromedia Flash because they have incorporated Action Script into the program which allows much more flexibility and with the introduction of Flash MX (flash 6) you are now able to connect to the person's Web cam and microphone... big plus..... hee hee hee....

[Julius]

Try the new Macromedia MX products. I have downloaded the trials and let me say that the new versions are better than ever... it have improved CSS and XML functions. Fireworks is easier that Fireworks 4... try it!

[magicamente]

front page 2002 is quite easy...

[theARTiSAN]

I've been a fan of Macromedia products.
I use Dreamweaver and Fireworks (MX) now and am fairly happy with them.

I've tried Adobe GoLive in the past, and wasn't too thrilled.
Probably just a familiarity thing.

[gugius]

Well as I am more a php programer than a designer, I like EditPlus2 a lot. It's very "light", has a code highlightining, line numbering, everything you could need for programing or designing a website. Although you need to know HTML pretty good to work with it.

[Ronny]

I have used Dreameweaver and Fireworks progressing from version 3 to version 4 and now MX. Think they're excellent. I suppose I've not really used anything else but I'm not a programmer nor do I use java or technical programming so Macromedia products are the obvious choice for me.:thumbsup:

[MENTALCASE]

well i must be lame because i use mircosoft frontpage 2002

[PatGuy]

I hate to chime in with a 'ditto' here, but.. ditto.. I am a professional web designer/programmer, and use Notepad
to edit html and cgi scripts. If I used an HTML editor, it would be Homesite. If I used a WYSIWYG editor, it would be Dreamweaver. I don't use a special editor, but Dreamweaver would be my choice if I had to use one. The reason is the way it handles HTML. Dreamweaver's generated HTML is far cleaner than any other WYSIWYG web editor I have seen, and it also doesn't alter the HTML contained in opened documents.

This was a MAJOR problem in Front Page for quite some time.. you would open an existing HTML document, and FP would interpret it, converting it to it's own internal objects, then rewrite it when the file was saved. The problem is that for certain tricks to work correctly, the HTML needs to be formatted a certain way, and if FP keeps rewriting the page its own way every time you save, your page keeps getting messed up. I'm not sure if FP has fixed it or not.

Here is just one example:
If you have two html tags:
<IMG SRC="blah"><IMG SRC="blah">

Then when those two images render on the screen, there will be no whitespace between them, because there are no space characters between the tags.. however, if you write those tags with a newline between them:

<IMG SRC="blah">
<IMG SRC="blah">

Then in many browsers, the carriage return counts as a space, and you will get a single space between the images. It is a very subtle difference, but can totally mess up a complex layout of images.

Anyway, enough rambling.. my vote goes for the Dreamweaver/Homesite combo.

--
Pat

[wilts_ian]

Well.. Im soldjering on with Frontpage 2002 too ! ... quite ok for my uses !!

[Chivs]

Hi

I don't think there is any substitute for learning to code by hand. Regardless of the product you use you will always have to tweek and fine tune or optimise code by hand. I certainly wouldn't rely on JavaScript output from fireworks or dreamweaver etc. Why? Well a) I want to understand it in english b) I want my code to be reusable like tools in a tool box.

Having said this Dreamweaver would be my 'weapon of choice'. I would create a form quickly and then edit the code by hand to add functionality and script etc.

If your new to it all these tutorials are quite handy and can be printed off clearly: www.w3schools.com

[vstfreak]

Coffecup html editor is pretty neat.

It is not a WYSIWYG program. It has a lot of wisards, but I don't need that. I do the codes and with the undo you can try a lot of things and go back if you don't like it. I have Dreamweaver , and mu ambitions is to learn how to do good things with server languages like PHP or ASP.:boink:

[DJ Joker]

WYSIWYG Editor is quite good.

[BI5]

I like frontpage but also swap between it and Dreamweaver.

[Lemmetawk]

I still use the old Frontpage2.0 that came with Win95!!! Very simple wysiwyg. It's is great for most 'simple' pages. I also do my own programming in html through notepad if I want to add some java. It's a great program for beginners but not for people who are into stuff like 'Macromedia flash' etc.

[BI5]

I agree that Frontpage Express is still a good option! (that's the one that came with Windows 95). I have tried them all ... Web Dwarf; Hot Dog; Dreamweaver; Frontpage; and more than 10 different html editors that are not so famous, and at the end of the day I return to Frontpage Express because it's quick and easy. Sure it has it's limitations but once you learn how to make it work for you then you'll see that all limitations can be overcome!

* One of the best free html editors that I've used is Web-O-Rama. Great for doing multiple replacements and for editing many files at once!

[daft07]

i personally like cutehtml (http://www.cutehtml.com). i'm not a big fan of WYSIWYGs

[uneekwayz]

ms frontpage xp is good

[uneekwayz]

ms frontpage xp is great

[xj911]

I like Macromedia Dreamweaver, good solid program.