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[ Go to September 1997 Table of Contents ]
Cover Story
Super Shareware
HTML Programming
Programmers are a resourceful bunch, always looking for new tools to add to their development kits. Crafty coders tap into shareware and pick up handy editors and other gadgets for various programming environments.
TOP PICK
WebEdit 2.0
This HTML-authoring tool rivals commercial products from Microsoft and SoftQuad. Although it lacks some of those editors' fancier features, it still scores a solid win in basic HTML-editing capabilities.
WebEdit isn't a WYSIWYG editor, so you'll have to use your programming skills to manipulate HTML tags. It supports all the standard HTML tags and the Microsoft and Netscape variants, client-side image maps and special characters. WebEdit doesn't yet understand all the dynamic HTML code introduced with the newer 4.0 browsers, but its support of HTML tags means you can easily hand-code any new tags or scripting.
WebEdit comes in Pro and Standard editions. The Pro edition adds colored highlights of tags, WYSIWYG wizards for building frames and forms, and tag and link validation. Standard, $39.95; Pro, $49.95, Luckman Software Corp., Download wepr32.zip (formerly WE2PRO32.ZIP), 2.63MB.
Bandwidth Buster 1.0
This handy utility puts the squeeze on graphics so they download as quickly as possible. Speed-up strategies include picking the most compact file format and using HTML tag attributes to fine-tune the page real estate they require. You can even ask Bandwidth Buster to create a text-only site that eliminates images altogether. $25, Sausage Software, Download bwbstr.zip (formerly BANDBUSTERA.EXE), 3.40MB.
Live Image 1.26
The successor to Map This, a popular image-map editor, Live Image is a graphical design tool for building client-side image maps. Its straightforward graphical interface makes it easy to mark active areas on a graphic and designate hotlinks associated with those areas. A wizard walks you through the first steps of creating a new image map. $29.95, Mediatech, Download LiveImg126Inst.exe (formerly LIVEIMG126INST.EXE), 1.22MB.
StyleMaker 1.1
StyleMaker is the best way to build style sheets without writing a single line of HTML code. Its visual designer walks you through the process of specifying all necessary properties-such as font, color, border and text-for various page elements. A thumbnail lets you preview how your picks will look. Then, with the touch of a button, you can apply the style sheet to your Web pages. $29, Danere Group, Download DSM3210.ZIP 2.32MB
Zeus 2.50
This code editor caters to programmers of all stripes. Its flexibility allows you to specify preferences for everything from spell checkers to fonts. Zeus' keyboard mappings conform to the command structure of popular editors like emacs and Brief so you don't have to learn a new set of keystrokes. Zeus also features color-keyed syntax highlighting and HTML support. $95, Jussi Jumppanen, Download ZE32V250.ZIP, 1.12MB.
Windows Magazine, September 1997, page 200.
[ Go to September 1997 Table of Contents ]
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