Dreamweaver vs Notepad

[QueenAdreena]

Since someone touched on it in another thread, which do youguys use for your web development?

Me personally I've always used Dreamweaver as I learnt how to build webpages whilst working for a webdesign company, so that's just how I was taught. Although when I tell people I use DW I always get "Euuurgh you mean you don't make your pages by hand?"

I've never seen the point to using notepad to do something that takes a couple of mouse clicks in DW. Why do people use Notepad? It's not like it produces code that's any different to Dreamweaver if you know how to use it properly.

Does anyone still use a text editor for making proffesional websites?

[Barry]

yep i use DzSoft PHP Editor

used frontpage/dreamweaver in the past but i still like the hands on coding

[DaBeeeenster]

Well, my company uses fireworks to chop up page comps, but the actual HTML is always coded by hand. Dreamweaver is pretty good, but sometimes it just doesn't work perfectly. Also, most of the work we do is Java/JSP based, and so the pages are normally splt up into seperate functional areas and pulled into the main template using jsp:include directives. Dreamweaver doesn't give us that flexibility.

I dont think there's anything wrong with using dreamweaver, but I do think that you should be able to write the HTML by hand if required. That way if dreamweaver starts doing something weird you can always tweak the HTML by hand.

I prefer EditPlus as a pure text editor.

[woody]

Originally posted by QueenAdreena
[B]

Me personally I've always used Dreamweaver as I learnt how to build webpages whilst working for a webdesign company, so that's just how I was taught. Although when I tell people I use DW I always get "Euuurgh you mean you don't make your pages by hand?"

{B]

Same here why make life hard for yourself?? I can't afford to spend hours messing about with notepad. The people who knock DW probably don't have an MD breathing down their neck!!

[Mozzer]

I use notepad for all my coding, html, javascript, etc....
It's just how i learnt, i have played with dreamweaver before, if i learnt how to use it it might be a helpful tool but i couldn't be bothered at the time so i've stuck with notepad.

I may get a real text editor with syntax highlighting and such soon, maybe when i get my new PC and everything is nice and fresh.

[eldren]

I personally use notepad. I find that it's little slower than a WYSINNWYG, and, of course, you know the code that you write by hand conforms to whatever standard you're trying to adhere to, which cannot be said for any of the WYSINNWYGs I've used (Frontpage and a little DreamWeaver).

Of course, technically speaking, WYS... editors go against the purpose of HTML, that being the organization of data, not visual aesthetics. But there seems to be little regard for that in this day, save for among purists.

[Agent]

Originally posted by QueenAdreena
I've never seen the point to using notepad to do something that takes a couple of mouse clicks in DW. Why do people use Notepad? It's not like it produces code that's any different to Dreamweaver if you know how to use it properly.

Sorry matey, but your wrong there.
Although dreamweaver is without a doubt, probably the best HTML WYSIWYG editor for windows, it can somtimes produce some nasty code. Ive seen a few times where ive used style sheets and tables, and it throws a fit. Although you learn how to make it not do it, you shouldnt have to do that. I know if i program in notepad if the code is wrong, its my fault and its usually easier to find the problem.
I do acctually code a lot of my pages in DW, expecialy for the syntax highlighting, but when it comes to complex tables and css, i do that myself

[Shad]

Dreamweaver, mostly the nice colourful text bit tho. Else TextPad which is fantastic.

[kaillum]

Originally posted by Agent
Sorry matey, but your wrong there.

gotta agree with Agent.. Dreamweaver tends to throw fits at most things... if it dosnt throw a fit, then it bloats your code out with so many unrequired tags

i use Coldfusion Studio 5 as my main editor.. although i've had a play with Dreamweaver MX, and the code editor in there is very similar to CF5, just a little easier on the eye

[TiG]

I'm with Dabeeenster editplus v2 is the best editor i've found to date. Dreamweaver does have some advantages with site management etc, but i've got ms sourcesafe to deal with things like that.

Dreamweaver creates code that the people generating the code don't understand, if you get an error in dreamweaver it takes far longer to fix than anything that you write by hand.

As for MD's breathing down your neck, it doesn't benefit for you to produce sloppy code, better to get things right.

TiG

[woody]

I agree about DW producing some weird code, but 75% of our work is HTML only and if I want to lay out a page, I still find it the easiest thing to use, and I have to think about employees who want to edit content. Thank god for templates
Horses for courses?!

[Paul Adams]

NotePad user here - I prefer to see the real code and preview it using a browser from a separate PC.

I've seen what FrontPage & DreamWeaver do to certain layouts when they try to be a bit "intelligent".
Even when I code in ASP to generate HTML, it's all indented for readability.

I don't even like relying on tools for highlighting syntax errors

[bloo_fish]

i use Dreamweaver mainly, but when i say that i do most stuff in the text editing view, but if i just need to make quick changes and stuff i use notepad

[woody]

I should say that we also use the Web Matrix a freebie MS app for ASP.net development.

[DaBeeeenster]

It is an excellent point. Debugging table problems in dreamweaver can be a nightmare. If you've written the code yourself it is a lot easier to fix.

[Shorty]

Dreamweaver is good for quite alot of work. It's not the total be all and end all but makes editing pages a snap.

I find it really useful for minor PHP edits on a remote site. It's also useful when you need to knock a page together fast

You don't have to have Dreamweaver write your HTML/PHP or any other language. You can still handcode it and it highlights errors in your syntax.

It's upto the user and how they want to create.