RE: Web Development Software -- MIDRANGE-L


> >2. I would argue the opposite of your stance: that a program like
> >FrontPage, where you can first paint the screen, *then* see the HTML behind
> >it, is vastly superior to first learning the HTML with an ASCII editor.
> >Taking that a bit further, I'd say the real way to learn HTML is to save a
> >web page into FrontPage, and toggle over into the HTML to see how it works.
>
>I disagree.  One of the most important aspects of HTML is that it 
>describes the structure of a document, and not the actual appearance of a 
>document.  By using a WYSIWYG tool, you may get
>too hung up on how the document looks, which almost always differs when 
>the document is viewed in different browsers.  Or even on the same browser 
>on different systems.

HTML describes both. Do the bold and italics tags describe the structure of 
an HTML document? Does using tables to generate white space (and increase 
readability) describe the structure of an HTML document, or does it have 
more to do more with appearance?

> >3. FP 2000 can be extended with VBA. Again, pretty slick.
>
>Does that work on non-Windows clients?

Why should it? FP runs in Windows, and you can extend the editing 
environment using VBA, just as you can in Word, Excel and Access.

> >4. I have found that I can quickly design a page in FrontPage, then tweak
> >the HTML and/or import it into ColdFusion when it's ready. FP is a
> >phenomenal prototyping tool. As much as Microsoft gets a bad rep, there
> > are a few tools the company does VERY well: FrontPage, Visual Basic,
> > Word/Excel and Access.
>
>I've also read of shops where FP is banned because of how it messes up 
>with HTML.

Yes, it used to mess with HTML a lot more, but you have much more control 
over it now. Look, FP has grown up. Why treat it as a version 1 product 
when it's at version 4 (aka FP 2000)? Everyone knows that the third and 
fourth versions of Microsoft products are the first usable versions <g>.

>One thing turned me off of WYSIWYG editors:  I was chatting with
>an exhibitor at a model train show a couple of years ago.  They
>were advertising the URL of their web page, but they told me that
>the web page wasn't up yet. They were running some MS HTML editor,
>which hung the system.  They found that the motherboard was fried!
>They complained to microsft.  MS eventually agreed to replace the
>MB, but only after the company threatened to go to the press with
>their complaint!

FrontPage fried the motherboard? I hope you're kidding about this, but I 
don't see any <g>'s in your text.

>As someone else pointed out, perhaps the best way to edit HTML is
>by using your favorite plain-text editor.  HTML is not difficult
>to learn (although there are a few quirks peculiar to some
>browsers).  Also, it's probably a good idea to get used to XHTML
>syntax, even if you're targetting to older forms of HTML.
>
>Even if you do use some WYSIWYG editor, remember to check out the
>HTML using a validator like <http://validator.w3.org/>.

Agree on validator. Disagree on the best way to learn HTML.

  ... Chuck


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