Recommendations for a web site editor

[I D Shukhov]

I need to do some sprucing up of a web site.  I want to learn about the underlying technologies like HTML5, CSS, JavaScript and Ajax, so I'm going to stay away from Google Sites, which is great, but I won't learn anything.

From my research today, I've come across the following possibilities:

maqetta was developed by IBM and contributed to the Dojo Foundation:

http://maqetta.org/

Eclipse has several web development plugins collectively named the web tools platform: http://www.eclipse.org/webtools/ 

One project is what I think I'm looking for, called the Source Editing project:  http://www.eclipse.org/webtools/sse/

Dreamweaver would probably work fine, but I think I'll look at Open Source products first.

[The Gorn]

In general, unless you pick a particular IDE style environment like Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expression Web, you will mainly be working with source files and you won't really have much contact with the higher level stuff like AJAX through the tool. You can create anything you like but you will have to navigate the higher level concepts on your own.

I'm just saying that most web tools tend to look like glorified text editors with support for language syntax (HTML, Javascript, and CSS.) The commercial tools are where the integration with more elaborate functionality happens.

CSS would be particularly tough to pick up by relying on a tool. You pretty much have to tough it out and learn how it works hands on.

I highly recommend that you try Firefox with the Firebug web developer add-on. For my money (actually time), Firebug offers the most punch in terms of learning. Firebug allows you to experiment directly with CSS in real time and see the effects of changes interactively.

[benali72]

For a high-level HTML generator tool (eg: competes with DreamWeaver), I use NetObjects Fusion. I've found it's easy to use and effective for sites that are read-only (that don't take orders or handle transactions). Older versions of Fusion are free, while newer ones must be purchased.

For a tool that edits text into HTML pages, I use Kompozer.  It's free and easy to use. 

Fusion is Windows-only while Kompozer runs under Windows, Linux, etc.

[I D Shukhov]

Thanks Gorn and benali72.   I wasn't very impressed with my first look at maqetta yesterday.  It seemed primitive and Eclipse web tools, at least what I looked at, wasn't WYSIWG at all.  I want to understand the low level code, but I also want some decent WYSIWG capability.   What I'd like is a WYSIWG HTML editor that produces clean HTML code that I can then add my own code to.

I'll take a look at Kompozer and Firebug next.  Firebug may be a great way to learn by example since I could use it to step through pages I like and want to learn how they work.

[pxsant]

If you want to edit an existing site, Edit+ is a pretty good editor at http://www.editplus.com/.   It has a built in browser and you can switch between edit mode and browser view mode with a button click.  You can download a free trial version (not limited) to test it.

If you are generating a new complex site from scratch, I use Netobjects like benali72.  I don't particularly like the templates but you can modify them or make your own.

For simpler sites, I would just download a free template from somewhere and modify it using Edit+.

Another alternative which few people know about is the Real Studio Web edition from http://www.realsoftware.com/web/.   You can generate complex database driven applications which have many/ most of the features available in a desktop application.   An interesting feature is that it generates Web applications as executable object code so there is no source html exposed on the Web at all.  It is pretty pricy at $599 but for specialized situations it might be appropriate.

[I D Shukhov]

If you want to edit an existing site, Edit+ is a pretty good editor at http://www.editplus.com/.   It has a built in browser and you can switch between edit mode and browser view mode with a button click.  You can download a free trial version (not limited) to test it.

If you are generating a new complex site from scratch, I use Netobjects like benali72.  I don't particularly like the templates but you can modify them or make your own.

For simpler sites, I would just download a free template from somewhere and modify it using Edit+.

Another alternative which few people know about is the Real Studio Web edition from http://www.realsoftware.com/web/.   You can generate complex database driven applications which have many/ most of the features available in a desktop application.   An interesting feature is that it generates Web applications as executable object code so there is no source html exposed on the Web at all.  It is pretty pricy at $599 but for specialized situations it might be appropriate.

Thanks for the suggestion, pxsant.  That makes two votes for NetObjects Fusion and I see they have a free version to try out.