Second to none... (Macromedia Dreamweaver 3.0)

Member Name: Morgenhund

Product:	Macromedia Dreamweaver 3.0
Date:	16/10/00 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incredible developer support, incredible package, easy to get into, no proprietary source code

Disadvantages: Price tag

Dreamweaver 3 has expanded upon the triumphs of Dreamweaver 1 and 2 in bringing WYSIWYG web design to the masses. Initially billed as a professional tool, Dreamweaver has quickly emerged to be the tool for webpage design. Although its price tag might initally put people off, for anyone seriously considering webdesign, and who uses the web a great deal, this package is nigh on impossible to beat.

Firstly it scores points over MS Frontpage, in that it does not spew out proprietary source code into documents, and it will also clean up source code from other programs. This is something that Adobe GoLive5.0 cannot offer.

Secondly there is a great deal of development for Dreamweaver 3, and with the easy to install Dreamweaver Extensions, it is possible to make this already powerful package even more powerful. Developers freely submit their extensions and Macromedia, wanting to promote the development of these extensions obliges by compiling a site, and by approving extensions if they are felt to be of a good standard.

Thirdly for people working on multiple sites, the site manager functions are a godsend, as not only can you manage multiple sites, but it is also possible to use Dreamweaver as your FTP program, thus simplifying your server upload process. The Site manager also allows you to produce sitemaps and to manage your site in an explorer style environment.

Fourthly it is not browser dependent, which partially explains why Frontpage spews out proprietary source code. Dreamweaver has built in parsers so that you can see if your code is acceptable for all sorts of browser.

The customisability of Dreamweaver as mentioned above sets it apart from other software, and it recognises that it is not entirely standalone, and in this respect alsos you to customise it to interact with other necessary software, for example setting Photoshop as your default tool for graphics editting. Given the fact that the Macromedia stable boasts a
lot of the most prominent tools in webdesign - eg. Shockwave Flash etc. the seamless integration with these packages is another standard tool which makes life easier for webdesigners.

Whilst the pricetag may put some people off, it is money well spent, and a lot more reasonable than the necessary outlay for Adobe GoLive 5.0 and the accompanying software necessary for a complete webdesign solution. I cannot heap too much praise upon Dreamweaver 3.

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