Web-site Development Tools

[Ross Tyner]

I work in a Windows environment and have used mainly Netscape Composer,
along with hand coding, to design Web pages. However, I have recently
downloaded a trial version of Dreamweaver, from Macromedia and have been
very impressed with its capabilities. Dreamweaver is available for Mac and
Windows.

Dreamweaver offers both wysiwyg editing and direct access to the HTML
source code, so there is no need to open a text editor to perform manual
coding. When editing a document in the wysiwyg window, the cursor in the
HTML window automatically follows that in the graphical window, so you can
see changes in the HTML as they occur.

Other great features in Dreamweaver include drag-and-drop tables and frames
- the easiest to use I've ever seen - and automatic HTML verification.
Unlike most graphical editors - e.g. Netscape and Front Page - Dreamweaver
will never alter the HTML of an existing document no matter what program
was used to create it, unless you specifically tell it to do so.

It also supports Dynamic HTML and Cascading Style Sheets that work equally
well in Navigator and Explorer. Version 1.2 also offers automatic link
checking, a built-in image editor and many other features that I've yet to
try.

I would recommend Dreamweaver for anyone who wants to take advantage of the
latest advanced features of HTML. Beginners and those who want to create
basic HTML will probably find it overwhelming, although the ability to
simultaneously view wysiwyg and source code may be a great way to learn
HTML. Dreamweaver sells for approximately $300. A 30-day trial version may
be downloaded from http://www.dreamweaver.com.


At 07:56 AM 7/21/1998 -0700, Slak wrote:
>I was wondering if any web librarians on this list could recommend any web
>development tools that they use.  I would especially appreciate hearing if
>anybody is still just hand coding, and their justification for doing so.
>
>I will be taking a course next semester for my MLS called "Applied
>Technology Applications."  Part of that course includes an introduction to
>html and website design.
>
>I am in the planning stages (content developement) of a personal website
>and am working on a Macintosh, a platform that I don't believe is overly
>utilized in library land.  However I am interested how other librarians
>compose their sites.
>
>Thanks
>Luisa Sabin-Kildiss
>
>Aigars Kildiss
>Luisa Sabin-Kildiss
>110 Suffolk Street
>New York, New York 10002
>
>
>
________________________________________________
Ross Tyner (rhtyner at okanagan.bc.ca)
Okanagan University College Library
Kelowna, B.C., Canada
Tel: 250-762-5445, Loc. 7126 / Fax: 250-470-6003
http://www.ouc.bc.ca/library/temp/tyner.html