From Frontpage to where??

jeanm

Member
I'm very challenged when it comes to building web sites. My sites will illustrate this:

http://www.heritageceilings.com.au

http://www.cheap-and-easy-recipes.com


http://www.railway-train-travel.com.au


They've been built using Frontpage but I want to discontinue using Frontpage. My problem is what do I use instead? I've bought Web Creator 3 but it seems I can't import my three sites into it. I would have to copy and paste every page into it which will take forever. I think the same thing is going to happen if I use NVU or Kompozer. I've been told that Dreamweaver is too complex for what I would get out of it (probably correct) so is there anything else I could use that will be simple please?

I know there are lots of faults in my web sites and I know they don't look glamorous.

Jean
 

smoovo

New Member
Since you like challenges ;), I will recommend you Adobe DreamWeaver. It is complex a bit, but you need a real tool to handle everything for you, and there is no way to get it done by itself.

This program contains FTP (file transfer protocol) handler, and since you learn (it's very simple) how to setup your existing websites, you can open the files for editing on your computer. It has the design window, where you can use it like you did in FrontPage, and by one click to upload your new design to the server (ctrl+shift+u)... :).

So you have to know just how to setup your sites, and how to open/upload your content.

- Enjoy.

____________________
[email protected]
www.SMooVo.com – Web Design
 

bcee

New Member
+1 for Dreamweaver. After you are comfortable with HTML/CSS/whatever just get a text editor with syntax highlighting.
 

jeanm

Member
Thanks so much everyone. I understand bit of HTML but not so much that I could work in it exclusively. I really don't know anything about CSS.

I'll have a look at expression web. I hadn't heard of that one. What does this mean "text editor with syntax highlighting"?

Dreamweaver costs $695 AUD (this would be the same in US dollars right now) but I see there is an Educational version for $377. Perhaps I'll read up on that version. Does anyone on the forum know anything about this cheaper version please?

If I end up having to re-do all web sites (heaven forbid) then how wide should I make the pages please? Mine are currently 760 px. I think that is a bit small for nowadays isn't it?
 

smoovo

New Member
My advice for you is to learn a little bit CSS and play with it, and you will do much more than what you expect right now :cool:.

"text editor with syntax highlighting" - Something between Notepad and Dreamweaver. It's text editor that highlights the script in a different colors to give a better visual workspace, and it's more comfortable for script jobs.

Try to use the free ones, you don't have to pay so much for beginning, Komodo is #1 (it got top rated online).

As for the screen size, use around 900 pixels width, all the rest is a background. Or you can do it larger, but some users will scroll the sides.

- Enjoy.
 
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Reed

New Member
Dreamweaver costs $695 AUD (this would be the same in US dollars right now) but I see there is an Educational version for $377. Perhaps I'll read up on that version. Does anyone on the forum know anything about this cheaper version please?

I have some limited experience with Dreamweaver and can attest to its greatness. However, if you're looking for something free and apparently geared towards inexperienced designers, I have heard good things about Joomla despite having never used it myself. Now I doubt it has all the bells and whistles of Dreamweaver, but A) I don't know if you need or would be able to fully take advantage of all the features a professional designer uses and B) $0 < $377-$695.

If I end up having to re-do all web sites (heaven forbid) then how wide should I make the pages please? Mine are currently 760 px. I think that is a bit small for nowadays isn't it?

1024px isn't a bad rule of thumb imo.
 

jeanm

Member
Thank you all so much. I shall spend a good while this weekend looking up all the suggestions you have made. Does anyone have any knowledge of the Educational version of Dreamweaver. I'm going to use something easy in the short term so I can continue to update the sites in some simple manner. In the long term I'm going to try to learn more and take up some of your other suggestions. My sites are so ugly I need to do something. I'm going to keep monitoring your forum as I see I can learn a heck of a lot from all of you. Thank you.
 

LouTheDesigner

New Member
Dreamweaver's split view. I do all of my coding in the coding section, but occasionally click on design section (so that it updates) so that I can check to see that none of my code has gone "off-course." Even my php coding is done in DW. It also helps, more so than any other application, with file management.

-Lou
 

d a v e

New Member
the educational version dreamweaver is - as the name implies - for educational purposes i.e. learning. while there's technically nothing to stop you from using it for commercial sites i'm (almost) certain the terms of usage don't allow it.

have you also considered aptana?

and of course you can use the trial of DW for 30 days to see if you like it (and expression web too has a trial)
 

smoovo

New Member
LouTheDesigner, I'm with you. At our company we all using Dreamweaver for all our scripting work, including PHP and file management :D.

I think it's the most powerful tool for web developers to handle files and scripts.
 

jeanm

Member
For the short term I'm going to use Joomla. I'm trying to download this now. I seem to have downloaded the Web Platform Installer but now I'm being asked to choose an application. It says the link needs to be opened with an application. What on earth does that mean please? What do I chose?

Thanks in advance.
 
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