The Bottom Line
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX is the best Web design and development package available for today's professional Web designer. If you build or manage Web applications, Dreamweaver is your best choice.
Pros
- Easy to get started building pages
- Integrates seamlessly with Flash MX and Contribute
- Supports XHTML standards
Cons
- So many features, it's easy to get lost
- Still possible to get "wonky" code
Description
- The interface is familiar for if you have used other Macromedia products, like Flash or Fireworks.
- Included code snippets and wizards make it easy to add professional elments quickly.
- The site wizard walks you through creating and connecting to a new Web site.
- Integrates with ColdFusion MX with debugging and management in Dreamweaver.
- Supports XHTML, ASP, .Net, ColdFusion, JSP, and PHP with code libraries and color coding.
- There is XML editing and validation support within the software.
- Extensive CSS support makes it easy to create styled Web pages.
- There is even accessibility rating and reporting to let you know how accessible your site is.
- The Secure FTP and SSH integration means that your connections will be secure.
- Runs on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
Guide Review - Macromedia Dreamweaver MX
If you've followed my site, you'll know that I'm an inveterate HTML hack. I prefer text editors like HomeSite to write HTML. But in the last month, I've started to really appreciate the benefits of a powerful WYSIWYG editor like Dreamweaver. This tool makes it easy to make changes to a Web site. Since it's a visual editor, I can often see the problem right away, rather than having to search the code. Plus, it connects securely using SSH, which I really like. I don't think that the HTML color-coding is as good as other programs, and it won't open CGI or Perl files unless you force it to. Dreamweaver MX is a powerful authoring tool and I would recommend it to any new or professional designer.
