Notepad or Dreamweaver?

[MarsDragon]

My current web site was made in Dreamweaver. But for some reason, the results are much better when I make a page in Notepad just using HTML.

What is best for you web designers out there?

[CkretAjint]

I use Coda.

[John G]

dreamweaver (it's what I have I guess). You don't have to use the WUSIWUG part of it at all. So it's pretty much notepad with code hints and colored text.

is it WUSIWUG or WYSIWYG?

too much l33t -_-

[MarsDragon]

dreamweaver (it's what I have I guess). You don't have to use the WUSIWUG part of it at all. So it's pretty much notepad with code hints and colored text.

That could be a good learning aid!

[tZ]

eclipse and cssedit

Download firebug and the web developer tool bar for FF and there is no need to use dreamweaver.

[MarsDragon]

I use Coda.

Is it one of those freeware coding apps?

[hewligan]

Syntax highlighting, code completion, regular expression search and replace, local and remote file management, and a built-in HTML reference. Sometimes, that preview mode comes in handy, too. Why on Earth wouldn't I use Dreamweaver?

Notepad, on the other hand, is a terrible text editor. Even if what you actually need is a text editor, there are plenty of better alternatives.

[CkretAjint]

Is it one of those freeware coding apps?

No, I had to pay $80 for it. But they do offer a free 30 day trial. I bought it cause I found it so easy to use when coding/validating sites. :)

[Zerk]

Syntax highlighting, code completion, regular expression search and replace, local and remote file management, and a built-in HTML reference. Sometimes, that preview mode comes in handy, too. Why on Earth wouldn't I use Dreamweaver?

Notepad, on the other hand, is a terrible text editor. Even if what you actually need is a text editor, there are plenty of better alternatives.

^Yes.

I use Dreamweaver because I am lazy. If you are learning the code dont use it use Notepad(or Notepad++ which just has syntax highlighting). But DW has lots of nice shortcut stuff.

[obesebee]

I just got Edit Rocket which seems to be good so far

[CoryMathews]

Aptana Studio is a pretty decent free alternative to dreamweaver, but its still no dreamweaver

[mfields]

I use notepad++ (http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm) it's free and much, much lighter than running Dreamweaver .

[Rokurosv]

I didn't like DW that much. I use ConTEXT, it's really cool with the macro recording at all, and the highlighter. And since we're talking apps, other usefull apps you may know?

[JamesX521]

Can someone tell me, where in Dreamweaver (2008 version) do I turn-off the feature that contracts the lines of code with some arrow, "+" and "-" small button.... For example, instead of showing lines of code 33, 34, 35, 36, it shows 33-36 with a little + sign to extend the lines of code... I think. It really annoys me. I need less automation. I am fine with the color-highlighting of the code, but pretty much any other automation annoys me rather. Thanks.

[digizan]

AFAIK you can't turn off the code collapse feature, but pressing Ctrl+Alt+E will expand all collapsed code.

Digi

[bismal]

I have never used dreamweaver is it worth a look? I used to use FrontPage 2003! haha.. that program is absolutely riddled with bad coding practices..

I agree with mFields, notepad++ is really lightweight and quick. It's one of those apps that genuinely speeds up your coding process, taking all factors into account (memory usage, speed of startup, usability etc)

and its freeeee! although I donated some ££ because I use it every day.

[hewligan]

Honestly, it depends on what you want.

I mean, if you're actually using notepad, you're very much missing out on what a real text editor can do for you. On Macs, I use BBedit, and on Windows (and Linux) I prefer SciTE - but if it's text editors you're after, there are lots of good options.

Dreamweaver is not a text editor. It's a development environment for the web. Eclipse (which is free, so you should all give it a try, just because it will cost you nothing and you may like it ;) ) is a more comparable product. It does not just allow you to edit your code, it offers all the things you could possibly want in developing code. For some people (myself included) that's what you want - a single environment that handles everything. Others prefer to mix an dmatch multiple programs to give them all the tools they need.

You just need to decide - what type of person are you?

[tZ]

Eclipse is really a overkill unless you are into programming. I use eclipse not because of its mark-up benefits, but its uml support. I tend to work as much as I can with classes so having a uml schema on the side is nice.

[Rokurosv]

I tried eclipse and it's pretty good, right now i'm trying Komodo Edit and loving it.

[dirt lover]

I really like notepad++, especially the ftp plugin it comes with.

[Idesyns]

Well, I've got some new editors to look at!

I like Dreamweaver, but I don't use a lot of the features. Before Dreamweaver, I used TSW webcoder and liked it quite a lot.

[scaryguy]

This question is asked by professionals sometimes.

Some developers think that using notepad -which means developing without any code-hints, highlighting and colorizing- is a way of showing your high level degree and extraordinary skills at coding. Thats why supporters of this idea generally use Notepad or plain text editors. They accept it like a priviliege.

But some developers -and especially designers [such as me]- think that, coding is sometime suffering and some little tricks [such as colorizing, highlighting and hints] could be surviving many times. So no need to act "the big coder".

Why would you kill time with writing coordinates of an layer? Why would you try to imagine which HEX code provides which color? WYSIWYG [What You See Is What You Get] is a revolution. Take it easy and just join it ;)

[Idesyns]

WYSIWYG is a horror, still. Dreamweaver's design view doesn't show your pages how as they will actually appear.

I don't have to imagine HEX code. I use a color tool that selects from my PSD or AI and gives me a hexadecimal code or whichever code I choose. As far as layer coordinates are concerned, screen calipers work wonders for measuring distances.

Again, I still use Dreamweaver. It does have some wonderful tools in it. WYSIWYG editing isn't one of them.

[tZ]

scaryguy wrote:

Why would you kill time with writing coordinates of an layer? Why would you try to imagine which HEX code provides which color? WYSIWYG [What You See Is What You Get] is a revolution.
p


I beg to differ. Layers? If your using layers this conversation is above you (no offense intended). Hex values? Really?, the day I memorize hex values will be the day I kill myself. Seems as if your making inaccurate statements when you know very little about what development beyond WYSIWYG entails.

[scaryguy]

@Idesyns: Well, I think you miss something with Dreamweaver or probably your working method is pretty different than mine. Because Dreamweaver's design view gives me what I exactly want.

I don't use <table>s unless I'm supposed show tabular data, so my layouts are full of CSS oriented layers which is perfectly shown at design mode. Correct me if I'm wrong but I guess you use tables those are real horror of the web.

If my foresight is not true, please let me know what makes you dislike idea of WYSIWYG solution of Dreamweaver.

@tZ: I'm sorry tZ but I don't understand what made you this much offensive. Maybe there could be a missunderstanding about terminology but I don't think that I deserve to be treated like a lame designer. You may check www.gorunmezler.net (http://www.gorunmezler.net) for example which looks good at W3 XHTML and CSS validator.

[tZ]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I guess you use tables those are real horror of the web.


Only when appropriate. Where did I state that I use tables for layout? I never said another about anyone being a lame designer. However, your terminology and understanding of development seemed inaccurate. Comparing everyday development needs to memorizing hex values is somewhat an insult. That's not what development is at all. Layers are not divs. If you meant divs than I apologize. Just seems as if your saying Dreamweaver is better without really knowing how to write semantic and valid mark-up without it or am I wrong?

The computer is unable to make logical decisions that is why I oppose WYSIWYG editors. Instead assumptions are made and those assumptions result in non semantic and unintentional output. When using Illustrator or Photoshop you control the software, but using a WYSIWYG editor the software controls you. Its never good let a computer make a logical decision because they can't.

[hewligan]

You know what? I've seen people produce good-quality, standards compliant websites in Dreamweavers WYSIWYG mode, so I know it can be done - though I'm not sure I could do it. I generally work in split view mode, as I find the WYSIWYG thingy helpful for some stuff, but I'm mostly hand coding.

Do what works best for you. It's results that count.

[scorpionagency]

Honestly I try to avoid coding whenever possable, however I find that Notpadd++ is rather fast to open & use it the majority of the time for quick fixes & layouts. I also won DreamWeaver Cs3, which I might open up once a month if i'm licky. I use DW when i truly feel the need for split screen (Code/Design view).

I can't stand sites that are basically one solid design sliced up into hundreds of images. Becouse of that I focuse on pure coded layouts that are fully indexable by search engines (Thus my extended Notepad++ usage).

Dreamwever is a nice apoplication, but I feel that one who dosent already know code wont learn very well with it & resortd to design mode to much. On the other hand i feel that the design mode tends to make the coders a bit lazy & they start to forget the basics when using it too much.

Just my 2 cents, i do agree that it cuts the development time in half for experienced coders though. :)

[DesignVHL]

I generally work in split view mode, as I find the WYSIWYG thingy helpful for some stuff, but I'm mostly hand coding.

Do what works best for you. It's results that count.
Same here. And for ME as someone how taught herself how to code, and comes from a more visual design background...as opposed to a computer programing, or code writing environment, it helped me GREATLY understand certain things. Allthough, by the time I got into the CSS, I have just forced myself to really dig in and learn it, because by using the CSS DW engine, I found that it was totally USELESS in helping me learn and understand how css works/interacts w/ HTML...writing that by hand, and reading tons of resources really helped more than anything.

But yeah, I work in split view...the preview pane is only good for certain things...and while of course it should never ever be used to preview, it can give you some basic help.

We all have our own methods on how to do things...its the end result that matters...compliant sites that should make sense and communicate what the client wants. But imho the code should be compliant. I'm also someone that has just started to try and be sure everything validates. :) Just to be safe.

[MikeTheVike]

One more vote for Coda...

[effigy4130]

I used to use DW, but lately I've been hand coding with TextWrangler, and then just keeping whatever html doc I'm working on open in FireFox or Safari and then refreshing when I want to see a change. In my experience, there is a huge difference between the way DreamWeaver displays a page in it's WYSIWYG, and the way the page is actually displayed. A big difference is, the actual browser allows you to check if your floats are working properly.

[DesignVHL]

I pretty much do the same thing w/ the browser - edit and refresh. I'll use firebug edit too sometimes - but it crashes on me now w/ ff3 sometimes.

But do use DW - in the code view and switch to the browser for the refresh. I have to say I really like using the DW template feature. It saves on a lot of time if I have to update something globally (tho I guess a text search/ replace can work just as well too) - but leaves more room for error imho)...

if i kept trying out different web design/dev methods i would go nuts and never have time to actually do the work! :p

[Maximus katana]

I actually really like dreamweaver. It does add some extra code here and there, but if you learned to code the html yourself, you should know what code you need and what you dont.

[tZ]

Maximus Katana wrote:

but if you learned to code the html yourself, you should know what code you need and what you dont.


which would be none.