25 Mai 2007 

→ deutsche Version

Web-Editor

These days this is my list from easy to complex:

• iWeb
• Sandvox
• RapidWeaver, have a look at 4.1
• Dreamweaver
• Coda and
• BBEdit, CSSEdit plus Transmit.

forget about iWeb (there are rumors concerning a new version at WWDC'07. I wouldn't wait).

iWeb Version 3 (from iLife '09 SnowLeopard) is OK, useable.

I've given up on Sandvox, at least until Version 2. Jun '10 and still Version 1.x

I'm testing RapidWeaver and like it very much. While coaching some ladies I'm going to install RapidWeaver at their place. They want to handle their website themselves and get things done: immediately, efficiently and looking good. No technics please, just solutions!
You could pimp up the RapidWeaver-templates to fit with the existing html-files and CSS, but that's as much work as with the bigger shots. Reengineering has never been a good idea!

Dreamweaver did never convince me. Much to bloated for my needs. I was better served for less money with the next two options.

Coda is excellent.

In your case, you don't need much HTML to learn. Coda uses SubEthaEdit as Textengine, not bad!
The main hurdles is CSS and you'll get that. I had a look at the CSS you'll have to use. To me it looks over-complicated, concerning class and ids and to much interdependent; looks like optimized by a VisualBasic-programmer. But you can live with that and the X-ray feature of CSSEdit will help you a lot.

BBEdit is a much better HTML-Editor as Coda is and CSSEdit has the supercalifragilistic X-ray feature. You already use Transmit, don't you?

Conclusion:
• buy Coda ($80) and CSSEdit ($30)!
• learn some HTML: <div>, <h1..6>, <p>, <ol>, <ul>, <table> <a> and the usage of class="" and id=""
• think about, delievering only <div>-elements from the database and use SSL (ServerSideIncludes, .shtml), so the main webserver will concatenate the elements automatically. <!--#include virtual="../help/navigation.shtml" -->
• read about MicroFormats!

Actually I'd prefer to use 4D for my website-maintenance: creating and updating pages, propagating rss-feeds etc. What am I missing? A styled text-editor, that's it. No, 4D Write is not a solution, but this is another topic. So I stick with Coda and CSSEdit and BBEdit.

iFrames are easy, similar to a picture. This is an example:

<p> <iframe src="http://www.de.4d.com/Katalog/Kategorie:4D_Werkstatt" width="560" height="250" > Your Browser doesn't support <iframe>. You will get the content of this area at this <a href="http://www.de.4d.com/Katalog/Kategorie:4D_Werkstatt" id="4D werkstatt" target="_blank">Link</a>.</iframe> </p>

And this is how it looks on a webpage. If you only see a frame, www.de.4d.com is down once again. Try again monday.