Webpage software

[PaulMy]

Is it worth obtaining Dreamweaver CS 5.5 Win ESD that I can purchase at a very low cost, or is there another suggestion? I have been using Kompozer and notepad++. I like notepad++ but do need a graphical editor to see how things turn out and Kompozer frequently inserts the special characters code instead of <, etc.

Paul

[gemini06720]

Paul, for the past 4-5 years I have tried many editors (even WYSIWYG type editors although I really really do not like them) and I have stayed with the one that has offered me flexibility in code designing: Blumentals Software WeBuilder - as for my Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 weather station, WeBuilder has been an excellent purchase...

[TNETWeather]

For me... unless I am using some sort of content management system like currently used on my weather and main sites, is to simply use a good text editor and a browser.

Systems like Dreamweaver have a fairly large learning curve and you normally are learning how to use the tool, rather than learning how the code works.

You are also hooked to that platform for all your changes. So if you have to do an update away from where you have that installed, you really are stuck.

By using a good text editor and a browser, you can edit and change the code on the fly from anywhere you have Internet access. The browser is your view of what the changes you are making look like (you can use multiple browsers to ensure that the changes work across the board) and you are dealing more with the actual code that makes the page look the way it does.

That type of learning translates across to other web servers and platforms where learning Dreamweaver only really teaches you how it works. It also tends to make some funky code which is harder to figure out why and what is wrong.

My favorite text editor is UltraEdit which includes a built in SCP/FTP browser.

Most of my current sites are based on a wiki back end which means they have their own content management built in which can be done with any browser anywhere I have access to the Internet. But I still use UltraEdit daily for a lot of other reasons including updating older templated sites.

[PaulMy]

Thanks Ray and Kevin,
I can legitimately buy DW at $35 for our not-for-profit organization but it isn’t necessarily the cost, its the simplicity that I would prefer. I am beginning to use Notepad++ more especially for any editing after a page is created as that gives me a good sample to carry on with. Starting a page where I would like to include a menu, table, etc. that is just beyond me at the moment without some form of aid. The browser use that Kevin mentions may be helpful.

Kevin, what do you mean by

You are also hooked to that platform for all your changes. So if you have to do an update away from where you have that installed, you really are stuck

Can pages created in DW only be edited by DM?

I’ve checked both your recommended sites and may look at the UltraEdit 30 day trial first.

I appreciate your comment and suggestions,
Paul

[serowe]

Two other things to remember - programs such as DreamWeaver (and previously Front Page) whilst 'good' for the novice, become extremely bloated and, as pointed out, tend to require that program (DW or FP) to make even the smallest change to the code. This bloating doesn't just affect file size but also make them a helluva lot more complicated than they need to be.

Secondly - one of the best ways to test (and write your own code) is to install a local web server - WAMP or XAMPP are two that spring to mind. Using these allows you to run a local server making your code changes visible straight away without having to upload the files to an external web site. They also allow you to have your site backed up, and viewable, from your own PC.

Once you get reasonably knowledgeable with the code you are writing then start looking for an editor that can help you - there are plenty out there that can be used without cost for personal use (they may be limited in some ways but these are generally not the way a very simple site would need access to). PHP Designer (V8) is a good example of this for use as an editor.

But everyone will have their own preferences - settle on what is best for YOU.

[GraemeT]

I think it's about time someone said something favorable about Dreamweaver. I use Dreamweaver CS4 and yes, it has LOTS of bells and whistles that most of us don't need, but you aren't forced to use them if you don't need to. It takes a bit of learning but Dreamweaver will do just what you need, at whatever level of complexity you require and with a bit of reading through the many sources of documentation, I'm sure the advanced features become as easy to use as the most simple action of editing a text file.

I do not agree with Kevin's comments about being hooked in to a platform. If you use DW to build a page, you can still connect to and edit the page with whatever editor you want from where ever you are, although I've found once you get used to DW it's hard to go back to other editors.

DW can either use ftp or local file transfer to upload single or multiple webpages, including dependencies, or the entire site without ever missing a beat, with different websites selectable from a menu.

My only issue with it is the utterly unrealistic pricing, but Paul, if you can get it cheap and legal, go for it.

I'm starting to sound like an advertisement, so I'll just go away now...

Cheers,

[PaulMy]

Thanks Graeme,
If you have developed your website with DW I'll order it today. Looks excellent.

Paul

[TNETWeather]

I do not agree with Kevin's comments about being hooked in to a platform. If you use DW to build a page, you can still connect to and edit the page with whatever editor you want from where ever you are, although I've found once you get used to DW it's hard to go back to other editors.

When you "publish" a page to a website using DW and then edit the page using some other method, the next time you "publish" changes using DW again, the changes made by the other source will be overridden.

That is what I was referring to.

So if you manage your site from many locations (work/home/friends house/clients office) you are greatly limited by having to use the same DW location to make even simple changes without losing changes you made.

[PaulMy]

Thanks for the explanation Kevin,
I think I understand
and still learning something every day .

Paul

[TNETWeather]

and still learning something every day

If you are doing it right... you never stop learning... I don't.

[GraemeT]

Point taken Kevin, however DW will easily load the either the entire remote site or files from it, for editing and saving locally, effectively syncing them, a little bit like syncing a laptop to a desktop pc.

For example, you would select the website/files you wish to edit, then click the 'Get File(s)' button, do your editing and click the 'Put File(s)' button - much like an ftp session. That way it doesn't override the changes made from another location.

Another method I've used in the past for keeping everything in order is to put a copy of the website on a usb stick, and just point DW to that as its local repository when working at another location, on a different pc.

I think it's probably true to say that most hobbyist users won't normally be editing/updating their webpages from more than one location and when it's all said and done, Dreamweaver is a professional tool intended for the professional user, which makes it far more sophisticated than most of us hobby users would normally need anyway.

If you are doing it right... you never stop learning... I don't.

(I couldn't agree more, Kevin)

Cheers,

[PaulMy]

Got Dreamweaver installed this evening. While I'll never understand all it is and does, it has helped a bit already in just understanding some of the coding terminology and how that impacts a page. I’ll have some fun with it but also, I am sure, some

Thanks for all the comments,
Paul

[serowe]

Make sure you do searches for ;essons on the various things it can do - many of these 'lessons' provide enough code to also allow you to do these trick etc without having to use DW. Things such as menu systems, tabs, tables without tables etc etc