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STILL searching for a web design package

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stringtheorist

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 1, 2008
244
0
I am getting really tired of having to use two or three pieces of software to do one job. Can anyone help me identify a web design software that offers these features:

WYSIWYG editor AND text editor that validates as you code in real time and shows changes in the browser?

Formatting for the source code (removal of redundant space and clear arrangement of tags)?

View that clearly displays the html tag structure so that objects can be found easily?

Saves view preferences automatically?

Lately I have tried Kompozer, Coda, Amaya and a bunch of others whose names I forget. Would Dreamweaver solve my problems? I tried downloading the trial but I got an error when I tried to launch it. Should I waste more time attempting another download?

Thanks in advance.
 
InLikeALion

InLikeALion

macrumors 6502a
Jul 18, 2007
624
59
Greener places than I used to live
I like Dreamweaver for its auto-completion, and because it's what I've learned on (minus a short stint on GoLive CS). When coding links it pops up a brows feature which can help save time. It also validates code and advises against various browser compatibility problems.

However, I have found some quirks that make me wonder if something like Coda is better for me. For instance, I carefully indent my html tags to give my document structure. Later, when I reopen a page, sometimes the indents are popping off or things like comments are given a new line instead of staying by the element I commented about.

I want something that is a little more "just" a text editor in this regard, because I want my specifically styled structure to stay in place. But who knows, I may just be using it wrong?
 
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stringtheorist

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 1, 2008
244
0
I'm using Textedit at the moment but every time I open an html file the formatting is all over the place and I can barely see what I'm editing. I just want the source code to look tidy when I open it and after editing. Real time browser changes in the same window are a must as I hate having to swap from window to window to see what I'm doing. This was something I liked about Amaya but I could not save the browser/code window setup so every time I opened the application I had to make these changes to the environment before I could start working. Not cool.

As for Kompozer, I notice after editing that the source code seems to contain lots of unnecessary tags (particularly within tables) and fixing problems invariably means wading through and eliminating these rogue elements.
 
jng

jng

macrumors 65816
Apr 6, 2007
1,011
1
Germany
stringtheorist said:
Real time browser changes in the same window are a must as I hate having to swap from window to window to see what I'm doing.
Click to expand...

That seems silly. I mean serious designers need their work to function cross browser and cross platform so you're going to be flipping windows no matter what.

I also use Dreamweaver and like the auto completion feature. I've tried Coda but I prefer Dreamweaver because of the way my source code looks. I'm used to DW's coloring and the auto completion too. Also I love how you can highlight whole sections and tab to tab the whole section instead of each line individually.
 
S

stringtheorist

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 1, 2008
244
0
jng said:
That seems silly. I mean serious designers need their work to function cross browser and cross platform so you're going to be flipping windows no matter what.
Click to expand...

The previews in Coda are erratic. I can make alterations in Coda which look fine in the Kompozer browser window and in Firefox or whatever but won't update in the Coda browser.

Browsers not withstanding, I don't want to be text coding in one program, fixing tables via WYSIWYG in another, previewing in Firefox, and trying to remember to close one application after saving before saving new work in another. There's got to be an easier way.
 
InLikeALion

InLikeALion

macrumors 6502a
Jul 18, 2007
624
59
Greener places than I used to live
stringtheorist said:
The previews in Coda are erratic. I can make alterations in Coda which look fine in the Kompozer browser window and in Firefox or whatever but won't update in the Coda browser.

Browsers not withstanding, I don't want to be text coding in one program, fixing tables via WYSIWYG in another, previewing in Firefox, and trying to remember to close one application after saving before saving new work in another. There's got to be an easier way.
Click to expand...

Try downloading the 30 copy of DW CS3. It's preview doesn't always render correctly, but it does almost always. I think it might answer most of what you are looking for. But editors are a personal thing, so who knows.
 
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