HTML advice and help...will pay!!!

[rawfasting]

Hello!

I have a site built by someone and would like to make simple changes. I have done some of this with dreamweaver and CoffeeCup but I still have a few basic questions. I'm not sold on any particular brand of editor but would like something that's WYSIWYG and reasonable. I have no problem paying someone for their time since you will help me eliminate some of the learning curve. I'm not inept but I'm not a rocket scientist either...haha

Any help is welcome

Thanks

Steven

rawfasting@earthlink.net

[smercer]

First of all, I do not like WYSIWYG editers simply because you put in more time trying to undo what the WYSIWYG editers automaticly put in (like the auto spacing).
I have a mag that I am geting some suggestions from PC User July 2003 and I am not sure if you would be able to get it in your country.

How ever, I hear that Dreamweaver is the best WYSIWYG editer because it is the industry standard, but is the most technical, and you need to be more advanced with it.

It is also the choice if you are using other Macromedia products like fireworks, flash etc because of the integration you get between the programs.

If you use Photoshop, Adobe golive would be better because of the integration you get between the programs.
there are other stuff, and because you said you wanted it simple and with an easy learning curve I only gave a summery. Now I give you the full parts of the easy stuff.

Quote from mag
Frontpage 2002
FrontPage is a popular choice for home users and small business, as it offers some very powerful features along with an intuitive layout, easy templates and built in site management and publishing. there is an HTML view so you can see and edit the code if you want, full support for frames, images maps, form creation and flash content. and while javascripting is not a feature of the program, you can add it readily if you are a js programmer. You can also link to data from an access database. But it is in the simple stuff that frontpage really stands out, making it easy if you don't have a lot of experience. Frontpage is a good compromise between true HTML design adn an intuitive layout tool for simple site creation.

NetObjects fusion 7
www.netobjects.com
This is the one to get if you want to design a good looking website with advanced features, but don't want to deal with HTML at all. it uses a wizard which makes the process very straight forward, so you can create a rudimentary site in seconds. there is also support for some pretty high end features like databases (microsoft Access or ODBC), Shockwave (Director and Flash), video and audio. Actions can also be added, which offer javascripting features and the ability to enter your own javascript code. Navigation vars and menus are easily made with multilevel menus and javascript popups. spellcheck and global search and replace is also included.

the one catch with Fusion 7 is that it works entirely in its own format; the site is converted to HTML only when you publish. It's more a design tool then a web authoring tool, and provided you are content to do all you web work in fusion, it will serve the average user very well.

VCOM Web Easy Professonal
www.v-com.com

This is very much aimed at the average home user, and at a price most people can swallow. like NetObjects Fusion above, it works in its own environment and you publish to HTML at the end, which is fine for a consumer package. There is a vast collection of tectures, photos, clip art, sound effects, frames, stencils and other web objects you can use within your own web pages, with a simple drag and drop, Original images can be imported and some image editing and filter capabilities are built in.

You have quite a lot of freedom over how your pages will look. the downside is that the actual HTML code produced at publishing is chock-full of JavaScript. Web Easy is a good program for those starting out with web design. It keeps you well away from the code and lets you focus on design. But if you want to get clever with Javascript or flash, you'll need something more powerfull.


hope this helps you out.

[rawfasting]

Hello!

Thanks for all the great advice! I have heard that front page places some wierd extentions in the code and can really make things difficult! Thanks for the other advice and I will look deeper into these other softwares!

Warmly,

Steven

[smercer]

I have heard a lot of bad things about all microsoft products, espeacily Windows, Internet explorer and Frontpage.

Personaly I don't blame you for staying away from Front page.

going by the mag, I would choose NetObjects fusion 7 simply because VCOM is full of JavaScript.

"Whats wrong with JavaScript" you ask? If a visiter visits your page and they have JavaScript turned off, They won't see what you want them to see.

I have tryed using NetObjects fusion 7. I found it less frustrating then Dreamweaver to use, though I could not get it to do what I wanted it to do. (been a while now so I can't remember)

My advice is to use the share ware version until you know you like it and want to use it.

[gumbystation]

I am completely against Microsoft...don't let that come across wrong, but I experienced, and have seen from others...that using Frontpage as a beginner is great. And then when you understand alot about it, switch to Dreamweaver. Remember, Frontpage is not the greatest (my vote is the worst)...but is easy.