Good Web Design Software?

[rdlaing]

Hi folks,

I hand-coded a now sprawling website using evrsoft 1st page, a very useful tool. I used some simple css and a php-based blog tool called pmachine, nothing fancy. It took a long time, but I learned a lot of basic html in the process.

I want to redesign the site but I want to make it *easier* this go around. Can someone suggest a web design software package that has some templates and things that don't look really pre-packaged boring or cookie-cutter? I want to avoid frontpage. What about adobe indesign? I looked at dreamweaver but it seems like total overkill for the simplicity I want, and I need something that doesn't have too steep a learning curve (though, like I said, I did already design a whole site and know some html).

Thanks!

-rd

[kram 2.0]

I'd suggest you take a look at Macromedia Dreamweaver - it's a great website making software. I do suggest you be quick though - Adobe just bought out Macromedia and who knows what will happen to Dreamweaver.

Hope that helps.
kram

[zach1288]

Dreamweaver is the best, I have been using it for about a year now. Like kram said hurry if your going to get it because adobe bought out macromedia.

[rdlaing]

thanks for the replies.
dreamweaver is a bit too complex for me to learn! anything simpler I can go with?

thanks

-- rd

[zach1288]

Its easy to learn, there are many tutorials on the internet, just search google.

[mairving]

Not really a lot of good choices out there. DW, Frontpage and Adobe's GoLive are the biggest ones but DW is the only one that I would consider. The reason is that it does the best job of coding without the bloat like a lot of the other editors. It also integrates well and plenty of tutorials out there for it. If you know HTML, and want to hand code, there are plenty of good choices there. Homesite is one of the best there. I use a combination of Homesite and vim, which is a 'nix based text editor but with syntax highlighting.

Your overall goal should be to cut down on the number of pages on your 'sprawling web site'. Hook it up to a CMS if that fits and it makes page management much easier. For instance, you redesign your site and rather than changing every page, you just change your template and that's it all the pages are changed.

[catacon]

I'm not really into WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors like DW, but I would have to recommend Dreamweaver. It is the best I have seen.

[kstatefan40]

Nvu or Mozilla Composer does simple stuff and has some pretty good code output (and are both free!). You should consider sticking with hand coding though, it will help you out in the future to know exactly how your site was built.

Composer is included with the mozilla package, and nvu can be found here: http://www.nvu.com/

[Urban Earth]

Homesite is also very good. Similar to Dreamweaver. You might be able to find an older version of it for cheap as well.

AJ