This is more or less a poll in essence. I am wanting to see the general consensus about using Dreamweaver as a text editor (considering the target audience from css-tricks is mainly front and back end web development). When i started to learn html and css there were other students in class that were using Dreamweaver and my teacher had told us just to use notepad (i cheated and used notepad ++ because of my eyes). He said Dreamweaver makes you lazy, would you agree?
I personally still use good ol notepad++ for my web and java stuff but i have installed a testing server for my php and was debating trying Dreamweaver just from the things i have read about site management etc.
BTW: i am just interested in trying Dreamweaver, too broke to purchase and don't want to steal from my soon to be industry brothers by pirating :)
I'm sure your prof told you that because people will go into 'Design' view and just drag stuff around. As an editor, DW is actually quite good, but it's too expensive for what you get.
If you're on a Mac, you have options like Coda, Textmate and Sublime Text 2. If you're on Windows, my vote would go to Sublime Text 2.
All of those things are cheaper*, more light-weight and efficient.
*I didn't look up all of the prices, but that's a solid assumption
I am a windows user, i did check out that Sublime Text 2, seems similar to notepad ++ but i honestly havent looked into too much. Not yet at least. I had tutored another student on html, previous Dreamweaver user, and he did not know how to link a style sheet so i would agree that it seems that it makes things too easy.
Thanks for the reference with that text editor, i enjoy light weight and simple.
Dreamweaver has some powerful file handling options that alot of code editors don't get. For example, if you move a .html doc to a different directory within DW, it will automatically change the links throughout your entire site to point to that new location. Also you can make library items that allow you to do site-wide changes with a single edit. These things can be invaluable if your working with a 50 or more page site. I will note, the design view of dreamweaver, where supposedly you can click and drag stuff around to make websites without knowing code.... well thats completely SCi-Fi. U cant make anything good that way.
If your website is really big... 2 - Dreamweaver (absolutely!) 3 - Not Dreamweaver
If your website is NOT really big... 1 - Dreamweaver 4 - Not Dreamweaver
Sorry....I think this is coming at it from the wrong angle.
"I am wanting to see the general consensus about using Dreamweaver as a text editor".
DW should not be voted on just as a text editor alone because it's a whole lot more than that and, as others have said, there are cheaper (and arguably better) stand alone options out there.
You're not comparing apples with apples. You're comparing an apple (not DW) with a whole bowl of fruit.
@Paulie_D, can you expand more on your comment? You just may be right, i may be trying to compare apples with whole bowls of fruit, just educate me please.
@Paulie_D, I agree and disagree at the same time. Lots of other editors contain more (and better) features than DW does. Some of them (like Coda) even have built in FTP as well.
I am wondering, a lynda.com tutorial i have seen before, someone using Dreamweaver was able to ftp from Dreamweaver and upload and refresh files that way, live.
@TheDoc, i notice a lot of people speak of Coda, i am a Windows user, is Coda Mac specific?
Currently switching between notepad++ and Sublime Text 2 (i have my stylesheet open in sublime and my html in notepad) just trying to test the field :)
@_John_ - unfortunately it's Mac only. For Windows I've only had success with one editor outside of DW: Sublime Text 2. It doesn't have FTP built in, which is unfortunate, but FileZilla is free and gets the job done.
@TheDoc, thanks for the product shout.. im going to research this FileZilla you speak of. Off topic, you a Doctor or you just always fixing stuff? lol... "Theeeey're Greeeeaaaat!" -didnt forget that one.
@_John_ - no, not a doctor! I think it stems from way back when I was playing Battlefield 1942 and would always be a medic? Let's go with that. Now I like to think I help people fix their problems!
It seems like 'Sublime Text 2' is taking a commanding lead.. I have started to use it, as I am using it now and seems very nice, smooth, and easy to use.
A text editor I have used before (30-day trial) was an editor called 'e' the windows version of textmate, resource: http://www.e-texteditor.com/
Just didnt feel like spending the $47.00 so i let the trial expire, i liked it though for windows.
I need to make a rant. Can I say just how stupid this post is...DW or not DW...really?!!!? Not pointing a finger at @_John_ as I understand his question, but look....use what works for you and why let others influence you. Dw is a great program and if you need the "cheater window" to help you create the same thing someone on Notepad++ or Textmate then so be it. I started out with DW years ago and loved it and the only reason I have switched was that I wanted to try something different. I have not used it in years as I have found a different way to design since then. Is my way better then a DW user?....no. Thing that sometimes gives DW I bad wrap is that a lot of beginners use it because it holds your hand as you code and because they are beginners there code is not as refined as it should be. So over the years we all look and help newbies with losy code that use DW....which then begins to brain wash us to merge the two. Bad design = beginner = DW. I know a lot of designers that use DW for a lot of reasons and they are crazy talented. DW, Textmate, ST2, Phpstorm (my fav) , Coda, Expresso...Mac or Windows.....who cares! Use what you like and become great at it. If you are good at what you do then the end product is what matters to the end user...they don't care how you designed it.
I appreciate your honest opinion. My opinion of Dreamweaver is kind of irrelevant at this point mainly because I haven't really established myself as a developer as for i am still in college. But it may seem pointless that everyone is very opinionated about Dreamweaver and yes the underline point is whether or not you know your stuff and can back it up.
For someone like me, I value everyone's honest opinion because i haven't been in the industry that long and there are many of you who have used programs like this. So yeah, maybe my overall question could have been 'Googled' but i value the opinion of other users because they are the ones using it.
I somewhat see the validity of your post, however, I would still appreciate people posting their comments because I do want to know what people think.
@springlab I think @_John_ has a valid question, but perhaps the phrasing was a bit off. While I agree with you that you should use whatever text-editor/IDE you feel most comfortable in, for someone who hasn't had that much experience, a few tips on which program others use, and why, is a great start.
@joshuanhibbert i completely agree with you. My point is that getting someone's opinion just on DW will get false results. Some see it as a beginners tool...some see it for the "Design View"...some started on it and have not used it in years so assume it is for beginners...to "heavy" or "bloated". I have heard it all when it comes to DW and the wrath of crap that it gets for one reason or the other. So to further explain my point is that use and try different programs and find what works for you the designer and not so it fits into popular demand. If you want a honest down to earth poll then make one that makes sense...with substance and hard facts of pros and cons...not "bloated" or other abstract reasons why one editor is better then the other. Start a poll where everyone needs to list one editor only that they can't live without with reasons why and one editor they can live without with reasons why...real reasons.
Thanks, Im going to check it out. Been planning on doing a clean install on my computer and also thinking of using Ubuntu, so if i do go that route I will surely check that out.
I have been reading articles about different text editors as of late and came across a "Top 10 Best Windows Text Editors" article. They have Dreamweaver along with a few others I have been hearing as of late. Netbeans is on there (which i use for my java programming - but will be switching to Eclipse). If anyone has used any of these as well comment and tell me what you think. Reference:'The Top 10 Best Windows Text HTML Editors'
I've been very satisfied with Notepad++ but started looking at alternatives recently as I wanted something that had an easier ui for managing sessions. Dreamweaver is tempting in some ways as but it's too bloated to work with for my taste. I think once you are used to doing everything from a basic editor navigating around a more complex ui can feel a bit counterintuitive. Right now I'm testing Sublime 2 but the FTP support isn't that great...it does have some other perks, such as the zoom preview.
I really like it. And apart from when I started, on notepad, I've always used it. I don't bother with the design view, it annoys me and I want to be able to build a website properly, so I do it all by code. Mush more satisfying. The way it separates the text via colours is very useful, I'd find it very hard now if all the code was black. But I know other programs do this too.
As for an ftp, Transmit is quite good, but I generally upload my files from Dreamweaver as I go. It is much quicker and easier.
When i started to learn html and css there were other students in class that were using Dreamweaver and my teacher had told us just to use notepad (i cheated and used notepad ++ because of my eyes). He said Dreamweaver makes you lazy, would you agree?
I personally still use good ol notepad++ for my web and java stuff but i have installed a testing server for my php and was debating trying Dreamweaver just from the things i have read about site management etc.
BTW: i am just interested in trying Dreamweaver, too broke to purchase and don't want to steal from my soon to be industry brothers by pirating :)
1 - Not Dreamweaver
If you're on a Mac, you have options like Coda, Textmate and Sublime Text 2. If you're on Windows, my vote would go to Sublime Text 2.
All of those things are cheaper*, more light-weight and efficient.
*I didn't look up all of the prices, but that's a solid assumption
Thanks for the reference with that text editor, i enjoy light weight and simple.
Just to follow suite...
0 - Dreamweaver
2 - Not Dreamweaver
3 - Not Dreamweaver
I use Sublime Text 2.
Edit by jamy_za:
1 - Dreamweaver
3 - Not Dreamweaver
If your website is really big...
2 - Dreamweaver (absolutely!)
3 - Not Dreamweaver
If your website is NOT really big...
1 - Dreamweaver
4 - Not Dreamweaver
Score:
2 - Dreamweaver
3 - Not Dreamweaver
"I am wanting to see the general consensus about using Dreamweaver as a text editor".
DW should not be voted on just as a text editor alone because it's a whole lot more than that and, as others have said, there are cheaper (and arguably better) stand alone options out there.
You're not comparing apples with apples. You're comparing an apple (not DW) with a whole bowl of fruit.
@Paulie_D, can you expand more on your comment? You just may be right, i may be trying to compare apples with whole bowls of fruit, just educate me please.
Sublime Text 2 is my current favorite for HTML/PHP, and I use Espresso for CSS.
@TheDoc, i notice a lot of people speak of Coda, i am a Windows user, is Coda Mac specific?
Currently switching between notepad++ and Sublime Text 2 (i have my stylesheet open in sublime and my html in notepad) just trying to test the field :)
A text editor I have used before (30-day trial) was an editor called 'e' the windows version of textmate, resource: http://www.e-texteditor.com/
Just didnt feel like spending the $47.00 so i let the trial expire, i liked it though for windows.
2 - Dreamweaver
4 - Not Dreamweaver
I know a lot of designers that use DW for a lot of reasons and they are crazy talented.
DW, Textmate, ST2, Phpstorm (my fav) , Coda, Expresso...Mac or Windows.....who cares! Use what you like and become great at it. If you are good at what you do then the end product is what matters to the end user...they don't care how you designed it.
I appreciate your honest opinion. My opinion of Dreamweaver is kind of irrelevant at this point mainly because I haven't really established myself as a developer as for i am still in college. But it may seem pointless that everyone is very opinionated about Dreamweaver and yes the underline point is whether or not you know your stuff and can back it up.
For someone like me, I value everyone's honest opinion because i haven't been in the industry that long and there are many of you who have used programs like this. So yeah, maybe my overall question could have been 'Googled' but i value the opinion of other users because they are the ones using it.
I somewhat see the validity of your post, however, I would still appreciate people posting their comments because I do want to know what people think.
But thanks for taking your time to rant.
If you want a honest down to earth poll then make one that makes sense...with substance and hard facts of pros and cons...not "bloated" or other abstract reasons why one editor is better then the other. Start a poll where everyone needs to list one editor only that they can't live without with reasons why and one editor they can live without with reasons why...real reasons.
2 - Dreamweaver
5 - Not Dreamweaver
Thanks, Im going to check it out. Been planning on doing a clean install on my computer and also thinking of using Ubuntu, so if i do go that route I will surely check that out.
I have been reading articles about different text editors as of late and came across a "Top 10 Best Windows Text Editors" article. They have Dreamweaver along with a few others I have been hearing as of late. Netbeans is on there (which i use for my java programming - but will be switching to Eclipse). If anyone has used any of these as well comment and tell me what you think.
Reference:'The Top 10 Best Windows Text HTML Editors'
Along with that search simply Googled "CSS Text Editors" and came across a lot of results. It seems editors these days conform to many different languages but some of these focus more or less on css.
Reference:'10 Wonderful CSS editor'
Reference:'11 Top CSS Editors – Reviewed'
Reference:'Top 10 Best Free Online CSS Editors For Web Designers'
I can read these reviews all day (i could download every single one as well.. lol) but let me know what you think.
5 Not Dreamweaver
I really like it. And apart from when I started, on notepad, I've always used it. I don't bother with the design view, it annoys me and I want to be able to build a website properly, so I do it all by code. Mush more satisfying. The way it separates the text via colours is very useful, I'd find it very hard now if all the code was black. But I know other programs do this too.
As for an ftp, Transmit is quite good, but I generally upload my files from Dreamweaver as I go. It is much quicker and easier.