Ok, for the last four years I have been designing web pages with html. I have kinda come custom to it and I have to say it seems hard to think of doing it any other way. I first got a taste of a different language when I started messing around with php based bulletin boards a couple of years ago. I liked some of the things that php offered so I learned a little (and I do mean a little, mostly from moding or re-coding my forums) of it. I am planning to learn it but it looks a little difficult even though people tell me its not(especially, since I already know html). I've realized that its time to change and move on from html. I hear most people talking about Dreamweaver and FrontPage. I'm not sure witch ones best or if there are better ones out there. I have to say I'm knda nervous about letting the program do all the coding for me. But I'm also kind of excited; it would mean a hell a lot of less work and time. How long would it take for me to master it? Any other type of input would be appreciated as well.

Never used frontpage. But with DW it shouldnt take anytime to learn as long as you actually know HTML.

You can edit the code through it as it has a option that is like a plain text editer. It will save time especially when making tables.

Most server side languages are easy enough once you get to grasps with them. If you know HTML quite well possibly Coldfusion would be a step in the right direction ( www.macromedia ) It is owned by the same company who makes Dreamweaver and is a tag based language like HTML.

It does the same things as PHP and ASP (They all do the same thing at the end of the day!)

So would Dreamweaver be my best bet?

PHP is my favorite server side language right now.

Go with a text editor! It'll give you the most control, and there are many free ones out there that are quite good. HTML-Kit is good, but now I'm kinda digging the simplicity of WinSyntax (WS was specifically designed with PHP and HTML coders in mind, fmu).

Outside of a pure text editor, I guess go for DW MX--FrontPage is to MS centric but don't even think of GoLive. Generally though, if you're going for PHP, I doubt that you'll be spending all that much time in WYSIWYG mode. You could probably even get away with doing your general layout in Composer (never thought I'd recommend that) and then tweaking in a text editor. :-)

~~Ian

I use text editors (usally Ultra Edit, or phpED) for my coding but I kind of mean like designing for my sites. Like building a template. It seems hard to compete with DW with html now a days. For coding I agree, that theres nothing elce I would use than my knowledge of the language, I couldn't see using a program to do that, but for templates and site design, I was thinking DW might be better and faster than my html knowledge.


As far as php I would probably use Ultra Edit and PHPEd. But for layout and templates, I thought it might look more professional if I used DW.

All other thoughts and ideas are welcome... I would really like to hear them...

Dreamweaver has pretty good php support if that's what you want to code in. It also supports mysql if you want to use that.

Then it sound's like you made up your mind, already. :-)

I've never used DW, myself, but I don't have too much against people who do. It seems like a fairly good app. Download the trial and play with it a little to see if you like it. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for bloat and such.

However, if you're not a designer and think more like a programmer (I don't mean that maliciously), DW's not going make you one--it'll just speed the time you take to make a page up. Your money may be better invested in hiring out your designs while you do the coding. Find the right piece of software for what you want to do. Very few people are equally adept at both design and coding, imho--except of course for moi... ;-)

~~Ian

Well I'm with a company that can get all these app., so I can get them for free... So money really isn't the issue here.