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Summary: One of the best WYSIWYG web editors.
Review: Recently, I had a choice between using Dreamweaver 3 and Adobe GoLive 5. When upgrade time came along, Dreamweaver was the one I selected to advance with. UltraDev also gives you the ability to connect your site to a database, invaluable in today's web world.Dreamweaver is extremely easy to use with very little training. However, the training can be invaluable to helping you utilize every feature that has been packed into this program. Version 4 allows you to build Flash buttons within Dreamweaver. With the addition of Fireworks, you have a complete web studio. Now, all you need is a server.
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Summary: Macromedia is earning their place in corporate America.
Review: With more and more businesses turning to the powerful capacities of web-based data-active solutions, B2B development is growing where dot coms have failed. With fundamental developments occuring in how businesses manage their data, new challenges arise to corporate developers and webmasters in how they can rapidly deliver integrated solutions for their companies. Macromedia's Dreamweaver UltraDev 4.0, Fireworks 4.0 bundle is a powerful solution for the needs of a rapid application web development environment and high-impact web graphics tools. Dreamweaver UltraDev 4.0 enhances features of the first version of UltraDev, coupling in new levels of integration with existing Macromedia development tools, while capitalizing on the need for data-active development. Adding objects, such as flash components, with ODBC connectivity to data-active functions is a matter of a few simple clicks of the mouse and defining the variables. The only complaint I have is that the text editor functions of UltraDev are pretty simplistic, with little extra functionality to tap into into features available only in the graphical design mode of the program. As a die-hard text-editor fanatic myself, I find the lack of utilities available in the text editing interface a bit lacking. Overall though, Dreamweaver UltraDev 4.0 still shaves hours off of concept development time and days off of project time. Simple to use for the beginner, yet powerful enough to speed-up development in a professional environment, UltraDev4.0 is rapidly earning a solid foot-hold in the office and a permanent place in my development toolbox. Fireworks 4.0 builds upon Macromedia's powerful Fireworks graphics suite. Highly integratable with virtually all web graphics tools, Fireworks has been a long-standing champion of rapid vector-based graphics engines. From designing complex image-mapping to developing vector-based logos, Fireworks 4.0 is a capable tool. As with any program, both Dreamweaver UltraDev 4.0 and Fireworks 4.0 can be intimidating for the average beginner, with such a vast ammount of functions, the new user can find themself lost and wondering where to begin. As with all Macromedia products, the tutorials and help-files are the best in their class. With easy to follow, step-by-step tutorials, a beginner will find that in a matter of just a short period of time, Dreamweaver UltrDev 4.0 and Fireworks 4.0 will have greatly empowered their designs and opened new opportunities for creative functionality. Give this product a try. You will be amazed at the results.
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Summary: A vastly improved product...
Review: I was pretty hard on UltraDev 1 because of the editor. Well, the editor is vastly improved, with color-coded code and will auto-indent for you. Better than that, you can show the window as a split view, with the preview on top (or bottom). This way, your code window no longer needs to hover over your HTML preview. If you can swing it, get the version that is integrated with Fireworks 4. See my review of this product, because it is truly a rewarding experience (5 stars just because of the seamlessness) to work with the two in concert. The DB functions are nice, and work well, but I prefer to "roll my own" in this area by just writing the code. There are many more improved or added features, and a nice bonus is the integration of some O'Reilly books that live in one of the little panes that clutter up your screen. Actually quite useful information esp. about HTML, when you just can't remember an attribute name or what have you. An impressive product.
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Summary: Astonishing round-trip capabilities...
Review: I was very hard on the first version of UltraDev, but this one is vastly improved. The editor is now color-coded and does auto-indentation (hallelujah). Better than that, even, is that the editor and preview page can be shown in a split window so that the HTML is not always on top of your web page (hallelujah+). I'm sure the DB functions are just fine, it's just that I'm more comfortable just "rolling my own" as they say, in this area. What REALLY shines is Fireworks 4 and the phenomenal integration of the two. Fireworks itself is a master stroke, a true software implementation coup. You can see my review of that product for more info on Java integration, rollovers, etc. But back to the integration. The round trip from UltraDev to Fireworks and back will have you heaving a BIG sigh of relief since you no longer need to worry about "Now, do I have to get the interface just right before this will work, or do I do the ASP code first, or...??". The two are now truly seamless. Awesome.
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Summary: Must Have...
Review: The combination of Dreamweaver's layout tools combined with the easy-to-use new features in Ultradev make Dreamweaver Ultradev a must have tool for both developers and designers alike. The asp code that ultradev generates is very, very clean.
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Summary: Super Cool!
Review: As an asp web developer that also needs to do design work, there is no better single product on the market that can do awesome layouts along with db connectivity. I really like the new sourcesafe integration, code/layout view, and appreciate the clean asp code that ultradev creates with its server behaviors.
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Summary: Fantastic Product!
Review: I am an asp web developer that also occasionally needs to do design work. Dreamweaver 4 is,by far, the best design tool on the market and now with it's developer tools in Ultradev, including ASP/CFML/JSP functionality, Sourcesafe integration and sql utilities it rivals any other tool on the market. The only feature missing is the intellisense capabilities that Interdev has.
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Summary: The best one-two punch for creating web sites
Review: I have taught classes and written class curriculum on the topic of web page generation, database interaction, and building web applications. When it comes to designing and building the standard professional web site with static pages (i.e., those that do not interact with databases in real time, which is most common professional "home page" sites), Dreamweaver is the de facto standard in the industry, and for good reason. This combination package is my favorite. Fireworks works as an alternative to Adobe Photoshop. While Photoshop is the ideal general image tool, Fireworks is designed specifically to help create web pages, and it provides automatic support and wizard-like features that make typical web design tasks automatic - such as building in multiple overlayed graphics effects, bursts, shadows, glows, 3-D, rollovers, etc. - but utomatically optimized for the web, rather than requiring you to thoroughly understand graphics optimization for multiple environments, including non-web environments. When you work with Photoshop, it takes some effort to make sure your cool Photoshop effect translates well to the web. When working with Fireworks, it's hard NOT to do that. Everything I've done in Fireworks always translates well. Furthermore, your work in Fireworks can automatically be imported into Dreamweaver in such a way that is more powerful than you would get with other tool combinations - the Fireworks/Dreamweaver transfer process will build Javascript code to support rollover effects and other features for menu support, dramatically speeding up the process. Dreamweaver is a drag-and-drop style HTML page design tool. In that regard, it can do the same things that the free Netscape Composer HTML design tool can do, but Dreamweaver does far, far more. You can work with layers, server side includes (SSI), libraries of Javascript effects (including your own - you can add to the library), and drag-and-drop HTML form design. You can build libraries of Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) styles, and apply them throughout your site, or pages, or as you see fit. Dreamweaver includes optional commands that will search your generated HTML code and format it, and strip out unused leftover tags. You can bring in HTML code that was generated from MS Word, and remove all of the unnecessary garbage that MS Word is known to do, which can dramatically reduce your file size. Dreamweaver includes some Javascript fixes that will address known browser problems, such as the "Netscape resize fix", but it will only include it if you wish. You can easily extend the menu to test your completed page in any and all browsers you have available to you. One of the most useful features for any web designer is the ability to survey the "Site Map", which is a graphic representation of all of your pages and their relationships to each other. Dreamweaver makes it easy to manage a site containing multiple static pages, and automatically search for hyperlinks that may be broken and need to be fixed. Anyone who has created large web sites will know how dramatic a time saver this is. As I said, I've been teaching classes in web design for years. I 've also run a company that offered web site hosting services. In my experience, my users and students who use Dreamweaver are consistently the most satisfied, and usually end up talking the MS Frontpage users into switching. Frontpage is good for getting a great looking site up and running quickly, but becomes very awkward when it's time to modify those sites. Other systems are a little too narrow, such as NetObjects Fusion, which is good for creating the standard business site of "about us / product list / contacts" combinations, but not much more. Dreamweaver seems to be the most popular choice for flexibility, ease of use, and extensibility. And it's my favorite, hands-down.
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Summary: Simply Awesome
Review: I've been doing web development since 1996 and, to be honest, I fought tooth and nail against giving up Windows Notepad as my web development tool of choice. Microsoft FrontPage really ruined web development software for me and I pretty much vowed to avoid such applications in the future. Fortunately, my boss insisted that I use Dreamweaver and even sent me off to classes to learn the nuts and bolts. And now I'm hooked. Dreamweaver is simply awesome and I can't imagine ever going back. Whether your a novice or professional, you'll come to love Dreamweaver's simple interface and ability to tackle otherwise tedious tasks -- such as Cascading Style Sheets, tables, layers -- with ease. Adding Flash, Shockwave or Java is as simple as it can possibly be. I took classes on Dreamweaver, but only because my boss insisted. The software is pretty easy to learn, though those with web development experience will have a fuller understanding (and respect) for the capabilities of the product. The single most powerful part of Dreamweaver is the use of templates, which allow you to use the same look and feel across multiple pages and have all those pages updated when you make changes to the template. This alone will save you hours! Another great thing about Dreamweaver is that creates clean HTML. This is something that any developer who has ever had to edit the HTML directly will respect -- especially if you've ever tried to make sense of FrontPage HTML nonsense. Finally, the FTP application in Dreamweaver is outstanding. It keeps track of every page, graphic, link, etc. in your site and any change to any of them is cascaded through the entire site -- automatically updating links where necessary. With a simple click of a button your site is uploaded to your webserver. There are so many features I haven't covered, but with the little I have this product is worth the money.
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Summary: Review for Dreamweaver 5
Review: -This review is for Dreamweaver 5- I absolutely love this software. I had Adobe Go Live but I never seemed to take to it like I did with Dreamweaver. Once it was installed within a day, I had made several webpages. As I continued to use it I learned more and more intuitively without needing much guidance from the manual. As a user you can create your webpages visually or in code mode, this makes it a great option for anyone no matter what your skill - it can be adjusted to suit your needs. You can learn and develop your webpage skills as much or as little as you like. You do not need to be intimidated by it's high price. You can learn it and the cost is well worth the output. ...
I don't have to look for anything else, I have hit paydirt with this program! If you are using Front Page or any other visual interface for ease, you know that you are trapped into a forced format, get this program and you will understand the freedom of control without fear!
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