Forum Moderators: mack
i would recommend doing a course in the basics of html and css.
as youve discovered, there are a huge number of programs to help make web pages, but to get the best out of them, you really need to know whats going on in the code. then you can use a few trial versions to see which software suits you best.
also, when you get stuck - come and ask here - its a great resource for developing your skills no matter what level your at.
ben
I second what benihana said. There's nothing those expensive WYSIWYG programs will do with a design that you can't do with a free text editor, once you understand HTML and CSS. That's really the place to start. To help you with that, take a look at the W3 Schools tutorials [w3schools.com].
And since you're working on a Mac be sure to check out The Macintosh Webmaster forum [webmasterworld.com] here.
It all depends on what you want to learn, and how you want to learn it.
To be nonest I would advise you to learn as much pure html as posible. CSS should also prove to be a valuable piece of kit in your development tool box. Im not saying you should sick to hand coding, by all means use an editer if you feel more comfortable with it, but if you have learned at least the basics of html then you will be a lot better at debugging pages and making pages appear exactly the way you want. When you code by hand you can do prety much anything you want. When you use an editor you are limited by the constraints of the software you are using.
I would certianly try to learn the basics and when you feel comfortable try downloading the evaluation versions of various tools. Find what you are comfortable with and get to know it inside and out. What you will find is that when you find something that works for you, you will stick with it, so choose well.
Mack.
I'll repeat the learn the basics mantra. Once you've got a solid understanding of basic HTML and CSS, you will then have a better grasp on what your WYSIWYG editor is doing and, can do.
I went the hard way. The first editor I used was Netscape Composer (I think that was the name). From there I moved to FrontPage 1.0/97/98/2000/2002 and this week to FP 2003 (finally!). I didn't really understand html the first couple of years. Then I found the W3C. From that point forward I was a convert.
A well rounded web designer/developer should have the necessary skills to work in both WYSIWYG and Text modes as both are required to manage any site with substance.
Here's a list of various software that may be used during web design/development...
PC Based - Website Design and HTML Editors
Microsoft FrontPage 2003
Designing: Use enhanced design tools to produce better looking web sites. New layout and graphics tools make it easier to design exactly the site you want. Coding: Use design tools to generate better code, or expand your code skills. Use built in scripting tools for interactive results. And with professional coding tools, you can write code faster, more efficiently, and with greater accuracy.
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004
Web Design and Development: CSS, cross browser validation, inline image editing, MS Office cut and paste. Application Development Features: New code editing tools, expanded code hinting, parameterized find and replace.
Macromedia Studio MX 2004
Macromedia Studio MX 2004 provides professional functionality for every aspect of web development and includes the newest versions of Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and FreeHand. Studio MX 2004 is also available with Flash MX Professional 2004.
Adobe GoLive CS
Adobe® GoLive® CS software delivers what you need to create professional Web sites, including smooth integration with Adobe software, a creative design environment that allows you to maximize your productivity, and powerful tools that support industry standards.
PC Based - Graphics Tools
Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004
Fireworks MX 2004 lets users import files from all major graphics formats and manipulate both vector and bitmap images to quickly create graphics and interactivity. Images can be easily exported to Dreamweaver, Flash and third party applications.
Adobe Photoshop CS - Graphic Design (.jpg, .gif, .eps (raster), .tif, .psd)
Get superior results faster with industry standard Adobe® Photoshop® CS software, the powerful new upgrade from Photoshop 7.0. You're in control with indispensable new features that help graphic and Web designers, photographers, and video professionals create the highest quality images more efficiently than ever before.
PC Based - Additional Tools
Adobe Acrobat 6 - Portable Document Format (.pdf files)
Adobe® Acrobat® 6.0 Professional software enables business, creative, and engineering professionals who work with graphically complex documents to improve the reliability and efficiency of business critical document exchange.
WS_FTP Pro 8.0 - File Transfer Protocol for Windows
WS_FTP Pro 8.0 is a file transfer application that is used to transfer files between your local PC and a remote ftp server. With WS_FTP Pro, you can connect to any ftp server and transfer files in either direction (upload or download). It is the perfect way to upload web pages, images, streaming media, mp3, and other file types files via the internet.
Mac Based - Graphics Tools
Adobe Photoshop CS - Graphic Design (.jpg, .gif, .eps (raster), .tif, .psd)
Get superior results faster with industry standard Adobe® Photoshop® CS software, the powerful new upgrade from Photoshop 7.0. You're in control with indispensable new features that help graphic and Web designers, photographers, and video professionals create the highest quality images more efficiently than ever before.
Adobe Illustrator CS - Vector Based Graphic Design (.eps (vector), .ai)
All-new Adobe® Illustrator® CS software is an essential tool for anyone who needs to express ideas visually in print, on the Web, and in any other medium. With powerful new 3D features, advanced typographical controls, smooth Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) integration, enhanced printing options, and faster performance, this powerful upgrade from Illustrator 10 helps you explore your creative vision and efficiently publish your artwork anywhere.
Adobe InDesign CS - All new Adobe® InDesign®
CS software takes page design to a new level, combining extraordinary production power and creative freedom with innovative cross media support.
Through its tight integration with Adobe Photoshop®, Illustrator®, and Acrobat® software, this essential upgrade from InDesign 2.0 helps you produce pages quickly and output them reliably.
QuarkXPress 6
QuarkXPress™ is powerful layout software with an intuitive, versatile interface that lets you combine writing, editing, and typography with color and pictures to produce dynamic final output.
QuarkXPress™ is widely used by magazines, newspapers, advertising agencies, typesetters, printers, corporate publishers, design firms, catalog houses, book publishers, and form designers. It is also used by businesses with publishing requirements.
[edited by: pageoneresults at 1:51 am (utc) on Aug. 26, 2004]
regards,
Mark
Also, a great way to learn how just about anything works is to take it apart. Find good pages on the web, save them and modify the source to understand all the tags.
[gimp.org...]
I would agree with the other comments here about learning HTML and CSS. I'm not a Mac user myself, but I woud recommend a syntax-highlighting text editor, which shows the markup blocks and attributes in different colors to the rest of the text. Most Mac users seem to swear by BBEdit:
[barebones.com...]
"Is Smarty right for me?
Although Smarty is known as a "Template Engine", it would be more accurately described as a "Template/Presentation Framework." That is, it provides the programmer and template designer with a wealth of tools to automate tasks commonly dealt with at the presentation layer of an application."
Anyway I'm sure that there are a lot of good (and free) ones: I have Filezilla (FTP client) and The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), by the way, with the GIMP you must install first another library.
