Hello all, I would just like to ask your opinion of using Dreamweaver or handwriting your own code out for simple webpages and why. For example, I would rather hand-write small pages rather than using Dreamweaver to do the work for me. The reason I feel this way is because my skills will be more challenged to apply what I have learned and keep my ability to hand-write (and hand-validate) my own code. Obviously Dreamweaver would be more beneficial for bigger projects, but I like to hand-write my own code. What do you think? Thank you for your time, A.
I think it's a good idea to know HTML. You can use any number of tools to create the HTML including, of course, notepad or some basic text editor. Dreamweaver is just a tool to create the HTML. As far as making money, you might be better off learning something like WordPress to quickly create your web site and then focus on marketing it. Moving higher on the food chain as it were. Besides just creating the code/HTML, there are other aspects to web pages, including java script, graphics design, layout, server side script like asp and php, ad placement just to name a few. However, learning HTML, fully is a good starting point since everything rests on that.
Personally I like to use dreamweavers split view. I hand code using the code view on the left, and dreamweaver helps out with code hints, then I can see the changes live in the design view on the right. The design view isn't always accurate, so it's always best to check in the browser after most changes too. I also like dreamweaver because you can set it up to upload files to your server on save, instead of having to drag files into an FTP program every time you want to check out changes to a PHP script or something.
The best thing you could for yourself would be learn html and css. Download Notepad++ and install it. It, for me, is the best program I've used to date at learning to/writing code. Then download and try installing WAMP or XAMPP. These programs allow you to locally test the code you write in a browser as opposed to uploading it and testing it. There's a lot of confusion while installing xampp or wamp and setting up hosts files and what not, but once you've done it, well you can test as many sites locally as you want. Normally I have [Monitor 1 - Folders/folder-explorer] [Monitor 2 - Notepad++ in Fullscreen] [Monitor 3 - At least one of all the browsers open to test code] However, if you're on a laptop, then I can definitely see why Dreamweaver comes in handy - the multiview. Though personally, once you can code well enough, you could open up Notepad++ on a laptop in fullscreen, code the entire webstie, then open up a browser to test it. However if you'd only ever coded with dreamweaver and not literally learnt the code, well you'd not be able to do that. Hope it helps.
If you know how to write correct HTML code, writing it by hand will give you correct HTML code. If you don't know how to write correct HTML code, OR if you use Dreamweaver, you will get incorrect HTML code. Dreamweaver does not produce proper HTML code. (I'm not talking about HTML 3 vs HTML4 vs HTML5, I'm talking about code that will validate and be cross-browser compatible.) Look for Deathshadow's many, many, many posts on this subject on this forum - I'd get kicked out of here if I tried to duplicate everything he's said about Dreamweaver.
I used Dreamweaver for a while but only code editor part. I have never used WYSIWYG editors because they produce very bad code. I know html and css and I am big fan of new standard html5 and css3 but I have stopped writing the code by hand because it is time consuming. I prefer to use CSM programs like joomla.
Dreamweaver or handwriting? You handwrite your code in dreamweaver anyway you will not use the visual WYSIWYG editor (the visual is only there for reference). If you can afford to buy dreamweaver buy it, its useful tool, if not then notepad ++ is a good alternative option but you need to know html/css to code the user interface of the website. There are tools which export html code from a psd design or WYSIWYG editors but their code is bad with alot of errors. I personally use dreamweaver to code my websites for the last 6 years and i dont think that i will change to anyother editor soon!
I am not using dreamweaver, but I love to experiment! I have completely redesigned my theme after several trials... but I do not really made it from scratch, there is a secret to do that and you can learn a lot from that - use your old codes and rewrite them! Make changes, make changes as long as the result wont satisfy you.... My advice do not write every single codes, tweak the existing ones, and keep on experimenting, try new ideas and see how it will give you some amazing results!
From my experience with Dreamweaver 4 years ago, it generates a lot of useless code. Might have changed in new versions but I still don't like how bulky it is. All I have is my Notepad++ and I'm good to go.
I use dreamweaver for all my projects. weather i need to edit code or not. I know HTML very well but i find if you write your code in a program like dreamweaver, it just helps with troubleshooting. If you intend on using dreamweaver because it has the visual designer. your making the wrong move. Challenge yourself before finding shortcuts. You could design lovely websites without know HTML but if something some how goes wrong, all your skills are useless. If you can visualize the website when you are looking at the code, your ready to use something like dreamweaver. For beginners, notepad is best.
Nope. As far as I'm aware, DW can't identify itself as the 5 major browsers. Therefore, how can you possibly hope to find error code in DW to fix just one browser problem without affecting the others, when infact the actual code is displayed in the browser it will appear entirely differently?
I still use Microsoft Frontpage 2003 to edit my pages and php. Sometimes it mangles the php, but I am used to it.
If you have less time then use Dreamweaver but coding yourself is better, it will help you to know what you don't know.
This is the best advice you can get! I definitely recommend using Dreamweaver for writing your code, but DON't use visual view...it's only a distraction. Benefits of using Dreamweaver is code marking, folder view and FTP (you can put your files on server directly using DW). Wordpress is great if you have to start making seriously websites for your clients, but if you need to code it yourself and have a web programmer who will code it later in PHP or ASP then use frameworks to start! Try Initializr for that.
Even if you're using dreamweaver, you should know some of the html.. It's better seeing what you do while you do it. Personally, I would rather write the html code myself.. I don't really figure how to use dreamweaver yet, haha.