Aha Dreamweaver! *rolls up sleeves*

Okie I've only ever used Frontpage once a long time ago when I was 14 and went on some school trip so I can't really say, but I've been using Dreamweaver for the last 3 years (learnt to use from scratch in Web Design class)...

PROS of Dreamweaver...
Dreamweaver is an excellent program to start with if you're a newbie to web design. there's a full tool bar of different options you can do, ranging from image maps, anchor-linking, forms, text areas, layers, tables, menu buttoons. There's even a text properties bar where u can customise your font size, colour and links, without the code! So it's pretty good if you're new to CSS code (i.e. you only know ur basic HTML), but have big dreams.

CONS of Dreamweaver...
However, once you leave newbie stage, Dreamweaver can become increasingly annoying. Although layers seemingly allow you to position something anywhere on a page as opposed to using tables, they look different on different people's browsers and often mess up the whole page. When you're in the Dreamweaver work space, it also has a really annoying function of stretching your layers to impossible lengths.

When I was younger, being the perfectionist I am, I used to work for hours positioning stuff in the Dreamweaver work space, twiddling with the layer and table boxes, which really drove me nuts most of the time.

2 years on, I'm just about to launch a personal graphics site with premade layouts for neopets users etc (at least i will when my domain name gets changed ) and somehow in the past year or so, through working with so much CSS code on neopets to position and align user lookup and guild layouts, I've somehow become proficient.

So when I tried to make my website in Dreamweaver this time round, I soon realised that it was much simpler to just ignore the Dreamweaver work space and just code everything in the back code area.

BIG FAULT in Dreamweaver...
Dreamweaver does not understand the concept of having a complete page's code within a text area box. It has a very annoying habit of detecting unclosed tags. Sometimes its right, but most of the time it's just that it doesn't like <div> tags and <table> tags within text areas within a <div> style.

The thing is, if i hadn't used Dreamweaver but just coded it myself and uploaded it, it would work! In fact, Dreamweaver even started deleting parts of the code in my text areas to "correct" it (arghhhh!)... took me 4 tries to realise it was messing with my code

So now I've learnt - if you want to do very ambitious code, ditch Dreamweaver and just code it in notepad if you understand all the <div> styles... it's great program... just not for people who aren't CSS novices anymore...

 

 

 

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I have a friend who complains about the front page extensions. She says she needs to find a host that supports them and not all hosts do. I have dreamweaver, so that isn't a problem for me. But for years I was just using html and notepad (hard to believe, looking back).

Sunkist

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*yay* for Notepad (or any other text editor)! I like writing my page myself... although I have fooled around with WYSIWYG editors, and they are probably useful for large sites when you don't have the time to actually code everything - I mean, they save time - I prefer getting down on all fours and doing it myself Maybe I'm just ancient...

But since this is not about Dreamweaver v/s text editor (forgot about that, sorry), I'd say dreamweaver is the way to go if you're comparing it with M/S Frontpage. Somehow, I never liked the code that Frontpage generated. But, like people before me have mentioned... perhaps it's good if you've never designed a page before

 

 

 

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Well, my dad taught me to use Microsoft FrontPage when I was really young, so I've been using it ever since. Though I have gotten wise to all their extra codes, so I only use it for guidelines. I hand code the rest. I've tried DreamWeaver before, and personally couldn't get used to it. I might try again this summer. But I'm one of those people who gets habitual about the programs I use and I find it hard to switch.

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to work in php I prefer dreamwaver

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wow, that was very informative Concertina, I really found that information usefull.

I've always just learned everything on notepad because the price was right on it! also, what I really like about learning how to code web sites is the coding itself. its very exiting to find out how much you can do with just a text editor! and that's a lot!

I've noticed though, that for many jobs and such that require web design skills they'd like you to know Dreamweaver or frontpage and whatever software they use, so I recently got Dreamweaver and just have not had time to really learn it or even play with it... but I'm looking forward to it. Though it was good to read the opinions here; its prepared me for the disapointment of finding out that I can't do *anything* I want ...imagination the limit, w/ Dreamweaver

from everything I know about it (and its not terribly much) Front Page is pretty useless. and more of a crutch than a tool, because you can do it all with just notepad without the restraints of the software. am I wrong?

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Lol, new frontpage is not that bad but I dun use it, DW is the best coz it supports layout design, very helpful indeed, never use any other softwares

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I personally use MS frontpage, I think it works great, not to mention that its got some cool features. In the end dreamweaver is probably better but I dont like the whole macromedia interface and I cant figure out how to work it at all.

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y, frontpage is good for a simple and person site.
but if u want to make a creative and functional personal site. Dreamweaver always the best choise...

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Dreamweaver is better trust me.

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