Webpage creator progams?
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- KVRAF
- 7879 posts since 16 Apr, 2003 from -on the outside looking in
Any recommendations for a wysisyg website creator? I don't want to learn to code and I enjoy the design aspects. What program would you recommend that would allow me to make webpages easily? Ultimately, of course, I would hope to integrate things like soundcloud on the page.
..what goes around comes around..
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
There are NO good WYSIWYG site creating tools. There are many that will crank out inferior sites 'til the cows come home. Without proper coding (which they will emphatically not provide) you'll get an awful mischmasch that will make us coding types cringe like snails that touch salt.
Why not partner with a proper coder? Anything less is selling yourself short; might as well just use a template.
Why not partner with a proper coder? Anything less is selling yourself short; might as well just use a template.
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- KVRAF
- 1821 posts since 5 Oct, 2003
A slightly dissenting view:
I code by hand most of the time, but I will sometimes use Dreamweaver for some things when I'm feeling lazy (to no ill effect, and with perfectly acceptable HTML). CSS and scripting> Not so much. However, as Meffy notes, a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS is invaluable (and relatively easy to acquire).
I would also emphasize that learning to use web editing software (or merely designing something that looks good) is not the same thing as designing an effective site. No software is going to do that for you.
I code by hand most of the time, but I will sometimes use Dreamweaver for some things when I'm feeling lazy (to no ill effect, and with perfectly acceptable HTML). CSS and scripting> Not so much. However, as Meffy notes, a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS is invaluable (and relatively easy to acquire).
I would also emphasize that learning to use web editing software (or merely designing something that looks good) is not the same thing as designing an effective site. No software is going to do that for you.
"Time makes fools of us all. Our only comfort is that greater shall come after us." Eric Temple Bell
http://thetomorrowfile.bandcamp.com/
http://thetomorrowfile.bandcamp.com/
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- Banned
- 10196 posts since 12 Mar, 2012 from the Bavarian Alps to my feet and the globe around my head
If you don't want to learn HTML and CSS, then I recommend you to use a template and simply change the text.
I have learned HTML and CSS within half a year - it's not so complicated.
As editor I use Webocton-Scriptly, but I use it to work on the code. I don't have found a GOOD and INEXPENSIVE WYSIWYG-editor that optimizes the code - every WYSIWYG-editor has made a real mischmasch of code (as German I like the word "mischmasch"
)
I have learned HTML and CSS within half a year - it's not so complicated.
As editor I use Webocton-Scriptly, but I use it to work on the code. I don't have found a GOOD and INEXPENSIVE WYSIWYG-editor that optimizes the code - every WYSIWYG-editor has made a real mischmasch of code (as German I like the word "mischmasch"
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
Oh, I use Dreamweaver all the time. Strictly as a code editor with really nice preview, never for editing in the live view.
@Tricky: For me it's Yiddish, but that's partly antiquated German, so.
@Tricky: For me it's Yiddish, but that's partly antiquated German, so.
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- Banned
- 10196 posts since 12 Mar, 2012 from the Bavarian Alps to my feet and the globe around my head
Of course, Dreamweaver is the best program for website programmers, but it has his (expensive) price... I never have seen a website programmer without Dreamweaver...but maybe there are some hard-coding guys who write code like others write books...Meffy wrote:Oh, I use Dreamweaver all the time. Strictly as a code editor with really nice preview, never for editing in the live view.
@Tricky: For me it's Yiddish, but that's partly antiquated German, so.
BTW, do you have any experience with Amaya - it's a new WYSIWYG-editor and open-source, maybe this could help the OP?
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- KVRian
- 1030 posts since 14 May, 2008 from Tralfamadore
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- KVRAF
- 5632 posts since 18 Jul, 2002
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- KVRist
- 163 posts since 1 Feb, 2006
Dreamweaver is super, but here are a handful of site-based easier options (primarily for Windows OS), in order of simplicity.
Xara Web Designer
WYSIWYG Web Builder
Netobjects Fusion
The advantage of these 3 over an equally good webpage tool like Coffee Cup HTML editor is that they are essentially site-based instead of page based. They will enforce good site navigation and menus, and can re-theme the entire site at once, instead of page-by page. They kick our reasonably compliant code that even a purist like myself can't get too bent out of shape about.
They are all relatively cheap, but I would look at them in the order I listed. The complexity increases from Xara to Netobjects, and you have to wrestle Netobjects more to make beautiful sites, but it is more powerful.
They all have free versions or demos to try them out before buying.
Xara Web Designer
WYSIWYG Web Builder
Netobjects Fusion
The advantage of these 3 over an equally good webpage tool like Coffee Cup HTML editor is that they are essentially site-based instead of page based. They will enforce good site navigation and menus, and can re-theme the entire site at once, instead of page-by page. They kick our reasonably compliant code that even a purist like myself can't get too bent out of shape about.
They are all relatively cheap, but I would look at them in the order I listed. The complexity increases from Xara to Netobjects, and you have to wrestle Netobjects more to make beautiful sites, but it is more powerful.
They all have free versions or demos to try them out before buying.
Free Ensoniq ESQ/SQ80/SQ8L goodies at Score for Sale.com-
- KVRAF
- 2278 posts since 8 Apr, 2003
I would recommend using a content management system like WordPress, Joomla, or concrete5. They do the heavy lifting for you and let you make changes to your site quickly. You can learn CSS and modify the templates to sate your design needs and give it your own look. Any hosting service worth its salt should have these as options that require little to no installation experience on your part.
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- KVRist
- 163 posts since 1 Feb, 2006
Good advice, but keep in mind that many (if not most) "free" themes are spyware of a sort. You have to scan them for base64 code and know what to do if you find it.Try a Wordpress template that suit your needs ?
Wordpress has an exploit scanner page, but often that isn't enough. My advice for newbies is to avoid complex themes unless they can read enough code to understand what is going on under the covers. There is an article out there somewhere called something like "why never to search for free wordpress themes" that explains it better than I do.
+1 for Joomla, though. Netobjects Fusion is similar to a desktop-based Joomla system, but Joomla still has a more agressive learning curve, and your host may charge extra for dynamically generated sites.
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- KVRAF
- 2488 posts since 2 Dec, 2004 from Sydney, Australia
Xara Webdesigner, the best WYSIWYG web design tool out there! Smokes Dreamweaver for breakfast.
http://www.xara.com/us/products/webdesigner/
http://www.xara.com/us/products/webdesigner/
Cowbells!
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
For me Dw is just a luxury. My largest sites (the biggest was nearly a thousand hand-written pages, plus about 122,000 database-generated dynamic pages) I wrote using nothing more than GNU bash in a terminal, Emacs, an FTP connection to the server, and an array of browsers for testing. Dw makes things a lot quicker and easier but there's nothing different about what I write using it.Tricky-Loops wrote:I never have seen a website programmer without Dreamweaver...but maybe there are some hard-coding guys who write code like others write books... :shock:
BTW, do you have any experience with Amaya - it's a new WYSIWYG-editor and open-source, maybe this could help the OP?
Tried Amaya years ago, along with a lot of other programs. That was what made me break down and buy Dreamweaver, which given the stand-alone price meant buying the latest Adobe suite. Much better deal that way.
Never seen any software that makes me think I was wrong when I said there are NO good WYSIWYG site authoring programs.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 7879 posts since 16 Apr, 2003 from -on the outside looking in
Yeah I asked because xara webdesigner v.6 is on sale at newegg for 10$.
I have modified blog pages before, but would like to help someone set a site up. They don't have the money to work with a full-designer, so I wanted to help out. I think I can pull it off graphically, but it is the simple things that mystify me - how to have a rotating image gallery, eventually set up a small shop, etc. I looked into EZdesginer by Imageline because I can get it cheap, but all the sample pages look like blogs.
I have modified blog pages before, but would like to help someone set a site up. They don't have the money to work with a full-designer, so I wanted to help out. I think I can pull it off graphically, but it is the simple things that mystify me - how to have a rotating image gallery, eventually set up a small shop, etc. I looked into EZdesginer by Imageline because I can get it cheap, but all the sample pages look like blogs.
..what goes around comes around..