recommend a good web building software

[aniki]

Im looking for a nice web package that will help me to create a professional look page

 

[Scarpozzi]

When you ask a question like that, it depends on how much money you are willing to spend. Frontpage can make good looking pages and has the spiffy Microsoft interface that we've all been FORCED to love with open arms.... But I would recommend Macromedia's Dreamweaver. It's easy to use and can organize multiple pages efficiently....also, it can do a little more for page setup than Frontpage....just my opinion. hehehe.......if you don't have the cash to spend though...There are plenty of free programs out there....Like Hotdog. Cheers!

 

[aniki]

Tyhanks for the reply......any other recommendations

 

[andri]

Edit it by hand

Yes, I do it sometimes. Nowadays I catch myself using Dreamweaver... rather nice tool, and it doesn't generate as much crap as Frontpage does. Later, clean it up by hand and youve got yourself a perfect web page.

Note that "proffessional look" requires some artistic skills, and not everyone has it.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

You can do professional looking stuff with Macromedia Dreamweaver and Fireworks. Last time I looked they offered 30 day trials which would give you some good time playing around with them.

EDIT: They still have the trial downloads here.

 

[aniki]

Im downloading it now.......However. pricewise dreamweaver seems much more expensive than the frontpage. My question is... is it worth spending more cash for the dreamweaver over frontpage.

 

[DAM]

another vote for Dreamweaver, and many ppl love homesite. however if you know nothin about webpages, i recommend you do it the old fashion way, using notepad. that way you will "really" understand whats going on.


Top progs for html:

Dreamweaver
Homesite
Frontpage
Hotdog
Notepad



dam(i dont want to go)

 

[BCYL]

Another vote for Dreamweaver... I think it is a much more powerful tool than Frontpage... you can do a lot more with Dreamweaver...

 

[thirdkind]

There's nothing wrong with starting on an HTML editor like Dreamweaver. That's how I started (I used FrontPage Express). Build pages, then examine the code to see what code makes up the different elements of the page. It's a great way to learn.

Once you have a firm grasp of that, learn HTML. Get yourself a good textbook. My favorite is Using HTML, published by Que.

Finally, get yourself the best site creation software on the market: HomeSite. Fairly inexpensive, but if you have the cash, buy Dreamweaver, which comes with a full version of HomeSite in the package.

Here's a nice lengthy review of it on my own site (forgive the appearance, it's the old design and I didn't feel like updating the page to the new design), and here's Allaire's HomeSite page.

 

[Wellcky]

Adobe GoLive and ImageReady!

 

[Technonut]

I use Net Objects Fusion. Net Objects Link It is not cheap, but does an excellent job.

 

[Sunner]

HotDog is my personal fav, has been since version 3.0, Homesite is good too though.
Something I cant stand is WYSIWYG editors, I hate the concept, but thats just my personal opinion.

 

[aniki]

Why do you dislike them?

 

[thirdkind]

They stifle your creativity without you even knowing it.

I have NEVER heard an HTML coder say that WYSIWYG is the best way to do it. People who have used nothing but WYSIWYG editors to build pages have no business telling you to use them. They're clueless.

When you learn how to code by hand, you realize the limitations that go along with WYSIWYG, even with programs as good as Dreamweaver. When you design a page visually, you're limited to what your eyes tell you is possible. When you know how to code it by hand, you see page layout in a completely different way. What isn't possible from a purely visual standpoint may very well be possible through some good coding.

Do yourself a favor and learn HTML, unless you're just goofing off with web design. Then do whatever the hell you want

 

[Isaiah]

Notepad is good if you know HTML really good

 

[Wellcky]

I've been coding for 5 years now..but starting to get lazy now thats way I use an editor, but do change back over to notepad..ahh the memories, every once in awhile to clean out the cobwebs.

 

[adams]

I agree that it is very beneficial to understand HTML, and it is quite easy to learn.

However, if you're looking for a tool to help you design a site, Dreamweaver is very good. I have especially found its template feature useful. It enables you to create a large site based on a template, and when changes are made to that template, they are made to all pages based on that template. This can save alot of time in editing work. Of course, these sorts of things could be done using Server Side Includes or PHP or something, but for starters, the template feature is powerful.

Homesite is also a very useful text editor, and as it was mentioned earlier, comes bundled with the PC version of Dreamweaver.

 

[Sunner]

Thirdkind pretty much said it.
I dont like not having control over what I do, computers are just WAY too dumb to ever be trusted with anything else than number crunching.

 

[fow99]

I think it really depends on what kind of experience you have and what kinda person you are.

If you are newbie, FrontPage or other WYS... would suit you.
If you are experience with HTML and would like to do some coding stuff, go for a
text-base editor like HomeSite. There is even sites which are composed by 'vi' if
you know what I am talking about. And the webmaster of them are quite proud of it.

Myself? HomeSite + Notepad.

 

[Spiff]

Since it sounds as though you are just beginning to learn, a graphic package may be good to get started. you could then go in later, learn the nuts and bolts and clean up the garbage the many graphic editors place inside the pages.

Dreamweaver is very popular.
HomeSite is also very good from what I hear.

FrontPage, however is the Devil. FrontPage will use IE specific tags that will not work correctly in other browsers. While I am not a fan of developing sites fro all browser combinations, I will not use browser specific tags. Instead, I prefer using the standard code as laid out by the WC3.

As for text editors, Notepad is clean and simple. So is EditPad.

However, there are other text editors that offer color coding of different parts of the HTML code. This makes it easy to find things like CSS statements or Javascript or HTML tag placements.

EditPlus 2 is a great text editor. This is very configurable for the making your code appear the way you want.

 

[Train]

i do some design in WYSIWIG, but Thirdkind is right, you have to at least know how to do it in text only, its the only way to fine tune a page to look EXACTLY the way you want it, no application, no matter how good, will do it all right.

plus when you go dynamic, you have to be able to dig into the text and know where to break it up and put code.