Allaire realized that once you’ve created your Web page, you’ll want to test it extensively. Included in
HomeSite 3.0 is Allaire’s own internal browser, which allows you to view the code you’re working on with
the click of a button. This doesn’t involve a wait of several minutes while a Web browser fires up, but
merely a few seconds as the browser view occupies the same space that the editor usually takes up. The
option is also available for the developer to use Microsoft Internet Explorer as HomeSite’s internal
browser. You may also add any other external Web browsers you wish (such as Mosaic, Netscape Communicator,
etc.) to HomeSite, and they’ll become available for you to test your code in as well (as an external
application—this means that the Web browser fires up as it normally would, and hence, takes as long as
it normally would to open).
The testing doesn’t stop there. HomeSite also includes a spell-checker, link checker (which checks the
validity of the URLs; you must be online at the time though), and a DocumentWeight tool which shows you
approximately how long the document will take to download at 14.4, 28.8 and 57.6 baud rates. This worked
well for pages with locally accessible images, but images with fully qualified URL sources (i.e. image
src = "http://www.webdeveloper.com/wdev.gif") caused an error within the HomeSite program. Although it
didn’t crash the program, it just would not work. Given that the version I reviewed is a beta, perhaps
this is a bug which will be worked out for the full release.
What other features does HomeSite 3.0 have for developers? How are these for starters?
A built-in file browser which allows you to select HTML pages by clicking on them. Double-clicking on them causes them to be opened up in the editor.
The help documentation is available by clicking on the help tab, and by selecting the particular help topic, it appears in the lower pane of the file.
The ability to import pages directly from the Web
The ability to FTP whole projects to your Web server from within HomeSite.
Color coded HTML source.
Customizable toolbars
The ability to search and replace within all opened documents
The ability to convert text into HTML or the reverse
The ability to browse, view and edit files on a remote server
The ability to right mouse click and instantly add HTML tags to your code
A Tag snippits window (tab) where you can store your own tags for future "instant" use one click on
the FullScreen button and the editing area takes up all the screen architecture. Another click brings
you back to the previous size.
HomeSite’s Tables tab enables developers to create tables by clicking on the individual buttons for
table sections, such as TR and TD, and for those simple, basic tables, HomeSite features a FastTable
button which allows the designer to click once, opening a drop-down visual guide (See Figure 3)
which enables you to move the mouse up or down, and by clicking at a particular place, add the HTML code
to the page you’re working on.
Figure 3: The HomeSite FastTable utility
As a Web developer and product reviewer, I’m so used to seeing products advertised as WYSIWYG (what you
see is what you get) that Allaire’s own acronym for HomeSite, "WYSIWYN" (what you see is what you need),
took me by surprise. Just what did they mean "what you need?" After using HomeSite 3.0 for a while, I
realized that they’d named the tool appropriately.
This tool isn’t for those with no experience in HTML. It isn’t for those who want to create a Web page
from scratch without doing any coding at all, although it is fully capable of creating Web pages using
the many Wizards that are included. This HTML editor—and that’s what it is, an editor—is for
professionals, people who care what their code looks like, people who actually like to work right in the
HTML source. HomeSite 3.0 is a tool for developers who don’t wish to be limited to using basic HTML;
those who want to learn and work with Dynamic HTML and Cascading Style Sheets right now.
With all these positive notes about HomeSite 3.0, you may be wondering if there’s anything negative
about the tool. Okay, I’ll admit it, other than the DocumentWeight bug I mentioned, I couldn’t find
anything bad about this tool. I suppose it could open faster…and heck, while I’m at it, it could be
free, but then, the fine folks at Allaire have to make a living too.
This is an outstanding product, and I don’t say that lightly. Allaire, when you’re planning HomeSite
4.0, remember that more is not always better. HomeSite 3.0 is as good as it is because Allaire hasn’t
sacrificed their original concept by trying to make it the "do-everything" HTML tool. There are no
graphics tools, no image mapper, no site mapper, no fancy animation utility. And Allaire says that
if you’re looking for a visual tool, perhaps you’d better use a tool such as FrontPage 98. Along with
HomeSite, of course…
