Geeks Bearing Gifs Revisited, Part II |
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by Al Massey |
In my continuing quest to bring you the latest and greatest in the field of Web authoring and HTML I provide these programs for your consideration. Bear in mind that due to limited space I am not going to dwell on any program that wasn't up to par so you will only see those that I know will do the job, provide a rich set of features without bankrupting you and don't require a steep learning curve.
Enter the fifty ton gorilla, Microsoft. When the folks from the far northwest decided to leave the starting gate and join up with the NetHeads entering the wonderful world of the Web last year they did what deep pockets everywhere often do, they bought their way in. In this case they bought Vermeer Technologies Inc., of Cambridge, Mass. Of course the beautiful stepchild of Vermeer, FrontPage, came along with the deal.
Starting with a solid foundation Microsoft has added a great deal of glamour to the package and with the introduction of FrontPage 97 they have a true contender for best web editing package.
Not content to introduce "just another editor," to the Microsoft banner they included such extras as the Bonus Pack and Web site management tools along with tight integration to Office 97 in order to sweeten the deal. Sporting an interface that will make Office 97 users feel at home, FrontPage Explorer view is very similar to Windows 95 Explorer and allows you to drag and drop folders and files into the directory structure or import entire folders into your Web site simply by dropping them into FrontPage.
HyperLink view allows you to move the cursor over any hyperlink causing a :screen Up" to appear displaying the complete URL. You can easily verify and recalculate hyperlinks as needed, edit Web settings and set permissions while performing global spelling checks.
The new OfficeLinks feature lets FrontPage automatically read and display hyperlinks within Office documents, so it's easy to add these documents to your site directly — no conversion is required.
Users of Word 7 will find the FrontPage Editor a true friend allowing you the capability of inserting and formatting TrueType fonts and performing a variety of billeted and numbered list and drag and drop text operations. Factor in the ability to edit HTML code without leaving the editor and you have a potential powerhouse.
Need graphics? A huge library of assorted graphics is included on the Bonus Pack CD.
Microsoft Image Composer is a full-fledged image-editing tool for online graphics. It includes more than 500 special effects and supports Adobe Systems Inc.'s Photoshop-compatible plug-ins. Image Composer uses a Sprite model that makes it easy to adjust the layering order and positioning of objects.
Using WebBots you can easily add interactive elements to your Web pages. However, this represents a downside to the package as far as I'm concerned because in order to make full use of FrontPage your Webmaster will have to install server side extensions on the Web server.
Final Verdict:
Usability *****
Technology ***(don't
like the idea of proprietary server-side extensions)
FrontPage 97 for $149 from Microsoft, Inc. For more info go to http://www.microsoft.com.
You say you like templates, the ability to convert from multiple word processing formats, support for Netscape extensions, HTML 3.0, spell checking, bookmark imports and forms. Is that what you want? Then look no further than HoTMetal Pro 2.0, it's got all that and more.
At its core HoTMetal is a full-fledged word processor complete with spell checking, a thesaurus, macros and styles for managing the onscreen look of your document. Not only will it import from WinWord and WordPerfect, but if you happen to have MultiMate and WordStar lying around it will import from them as well.
Don't like the way the interface looks? Then drag the floating toolbars anywhere you want them. HoTMetal is a strict disciplinarian when it comes to HTML and will not allow you to just start typing and format later. You must define each new element as you go. In spite of this little drawback I found HoTMetal allowed me to import text slicker than with other editors, particularly Word and WordPerfect documents.
In most regards HoTMetal has a steeper learning curve than other editors evaluated, but once you get the hang of things you will find your work moves fast. It seems to recognize Netscape extensions and HTML 3.0 better than most, so even though there is not much documentation on these features, it will recognize when you are venturing into the deep end and dialog boxes will appear to help you out. (Nice feature)
I found HoTMetal lacking both documentation and right mouse support but creating a rather involved test document was simple and I got it right the first time. Something I can't say for the rest except for HotDog Pro.
Final Verdict:
Usability ***
Technology ***
HoTMetal Pro 2.0 for $159 from SoftQuad, Inc. For more info call 800-360-8454 or go to http://www.sq.com/products/.
In some respects this version of WebEdit reminds me of HotDog. Is offers some tight code and features support for HTML 3.2 tags (math functions, tables, Netscape and Internet Explorer). The Home Page Wizard offers up improved browser support and includes a URL Builder for easy selection of URLs as well as Table Building functions for rapid creation of advanced tables. This, coupled with a "previewer" for viewing HTML pages from within the editor, adds up to a nice package.
Other features I found useful were a WYSIWYG image mapping utility for quickly developing image maps and the capability of saving every URL you enter, allowing you to choose from a list rather than having to retype a URL over and over. These were functions worthy of the price tag.
Floating customizable toolbars, The Table Builder and a multilingual spell checker round out the package. However, I found the price a bit steep, when compared to HotDog and HomeSite compared feature to feature.
Final Verdict:
Usability ***
Technology ***
Webedit Pro 2.0 (32-bit) for $100 from Nesbitt Software Corp. For more info go to http://www.nesbitt.com/products.html.
Publisher Pro R.12 from Web Media offers a strong selection of features along with a program that is easy to use. Combining easy forms, tables, frames and Java development tools with a file conversion utility that allows you to develop for the PC, MAX and UNIX platforms all at once makes for a neat little package that is easy on the pocketbook.
Included are Internet Explorer tools for marquee, background sound, image options and client side image mapping tags as well as the capability to create high-quality backgrounds and image maps. Multiple file search and replace functions, user definable buttons and support for Shockwave makes this program a stellar entry in the Web editor arena.
By incorporating a spell checker, user definable floating toolbars, FTP uploading capabilities and a complete inline Web previewing Browser into Publisher Pro, Web Media has served notice that this little jewel is set to take on all comers.
Final Verdict:
Usability ****
Technology ***
Web Media Publisher Pro R.12 for $35 from Web Media Publishing. For more info go to http://www.wbmedia.com/publisher/.
I tore into this neat package billed as "a fast and easy way for novices and professionals to produce eye-catching Web pages for the Internet," with high anticipation. Corel originally marketed the six applications in this suite as stand alone programs but once they began shipping the company changed marketing directions and decided to include them all in one package aimed at Web page designers of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced.
Included in the Web Graphics Suite you will find CorelWEB Designer for Web page publishing, CorelWEB Move for animation effects, CorelWEB Draw based on CorelDRAW 5, CorelWEB World for creating 3D worlds, CorelWEB Transit to turn word processor files to HTML code and CorelWEB Graphics with 7,500 images in .GIF and .JPG format.
I found all the tools needed to create Web worlds here and combined these tools have the potential to be powerhouses in the right hands but I came away somewhat disappointed by their lack of depth.
CorelWEB DESIGNER was on the easy side as far as HTML authoring tools, allowing for the fast easy creation of Web pages. Having the polished look you come to expect from Corel Designer provides a variety of templates or allows you to effortlessly create your own. Likewise tables and forms were easy enough but I found no support for frames or the newer Web tags. To make it worse there is no way to add HTML tags manually.
The rest of the package is basically made up of creation tools and includes some pretty juicy applications. CorelWEB MOVE allows you to create those Web-oriented animations you have come to like so much; CorelWEB DRAW is a "lite" version of Corel's DRAW package; CorelWEB Transit converts any existing word processing or graphics file into HTML; and CorelWEB World is a really nifty 3-D VRML editor allowing you to get up to speed quickly on creating "Virtual" worlds. Rounding out the package is CorelWEB Graphics with about a gazillion images.
While I found all of the suite's applications functional they came up short in terms of long-term use. However, if you are a novice and want to get up to speed quickly, this may be the package for you.
Final Verdict:
Usability ****
Technology ***
CorelWEB Graphics Suite for $300 (or download a free trial version of CorelWEB Designer) from Corel Corporation. For more info go to http://www.corel.com/ca/corelweb/webgraphics/index.htm
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.
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