a beginners guide to the best web design software
A Beginner's Guide to the Best Web Design Software
Having an error-free, professional-looking website with a sophisticated design as a front for your business, or even to give yourself an identity online personally, is a necessity nowadays. But what do you do if the ABC's of web designing leave you flummoxed? Buzzle is ready with the solution, by compiling a list of easy-to-use web design software especially for beginners.
- ✏ Web designing is a process like any other; it involves systematic planning and execution.
- ✏ While designing a website, one needs to have a clear idea about the layout one expects for his or her site.
- ✏ It also helps to know beforehand, what content and images you would wish to feature.
- ✏ If you wish for some animated effect to appear dynamically on your page, you should plan that out too.
- ✏ Languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, Ruby, Flash, XML, Visual Basic Scripting, and many more are the building blocks of web pages, and it will help you greatly if you take a crash course in some of the aforementioned. A lot of free tutorials are easily accessible online as well.
- Learning Environment:- The software comes with an easy-to-understand user guide, and interactive learning capabilities at every step of coding.
- Code Completion:- For inexperienced HTML coders, code completion prompts you with a valid syntax as you type, which helps to minimize your code debugging time.
- Moreover, the software comes with an HTML Validator, compliant with W3C standards, that automatically tells you where and how to fix coding errors.
- Availability of Templates:- This software allows you to choose from a wide range of templates, that can give you a head-start, as opposed to designing the layout from scratch. You can view how the template looks beforehand selecting it for your page.
- Advanced Support:- Professional or experienced web designers are provided inherent support for multiple programming languages. It even comes with a CSS menu builder. Also, unlike in other coding environment, repetitive code can be modified just once, and the changes will be reflected in all instances of it.
- Open from Web:- A unique feature of this software is that it allows you to open a pre-existing page (even if you aren't the author) off the internet, and use it as a base template, where you can make changes and edit content.
- This software helps you organize various pages on your website very efficiently in a tabbed interface format.
- Visual Mode:- Since the WYSIWYG mechanism is supported in this software, one does not need to have much prior knowledge of HTML coding, and it is quite simple to go back-and-forth from Visual to Source Modes. Changes made in one mode are instantly reflected in the other mode.
- Multi-platform Support:- The latest version, PageBreeze 5.0 (and updates), supports the latest HTML standards, and in the Pro version, web designers are even provided support for Flash and PHP. The basic version even provides web-form-generators, which can help one create web forms without the use of scripting or style sheets.
- Templates:- A variety of web page templates are provided in even the free version (obviously, additional templates are made available to licensed users), for ready creation of web pages.
- Web Page Preview:- One can preview how their page will look on an actual browser, as Internet Explorer and this software are integrated.
- Ease of Use and Support:- Help topics and online support, where users' queries are answered, are constantly provided for this software.
- The Pro version comes with other advanced features like built-in FTP Publishing, that too over secure FTP, and Multiple Editor Windows, a feature that allows one to edit more than one web page at a time, and copy-paste content, and formatting, across them.
- All the basic features of a web design software, such as Syntax Highlighting, and Code Completion are present with other unique features as well.
- Live View:- Taking the WYSIWYG mechanism to a whole new level, this mode splits the screen into two, with one being your source code, and the other being a browser view of your web page, and allows you to literally see changes made in one mode reflected in the other in real time. What's more, you can restructure, copy-paste, and drag-and-drop elements even in the visual mode.
- Element Quick View:- You do not have to physically peruse through many lines of HTML code, as this mode displays the elements in a very clear manner. One can also apply CSS in this mode, and restructure, copy-paste, or delete elements.
- Multi-Platform Support:- Dreamweaver not only allows you to edit HTML and create and edit style sheets, but it also allows you to work with CSS, Javascript, and server-side frameworks (PHP, ASP.NET, etc.) Text input can be in any language; it even provides support to type in Arabic (or any right-to-left script language) in the coding mode.
- Sophisticated Style Sheet Editing:- The support for CSS in this app is unparalleled. Dreamweaver CC comes with a completely amazing CSS Designer, that not only allows you to add and edit effects using a visual tool, but also to select and copy preferred styles and paste them in other elements, giving you systematic control over the process.
- This software also allows you access the library of Adobe Edge's Web Fonts for free, that can be used in your design.
- When it comes to design, all kinds of features are available, such as direct insertion of Buttons linking to social networking websites, a built-in Spell-Check, Support to Integrate your Website with PayPal, the ability to display Online Photo Albums, and much more.
- Availability of Templates:- More than a thousand templates are available to users, and one can easily make websites on their basis. The templates are completely customizable, and have built-in working navigation links too.
- Drag-and-Drop:- While using this software, one can easily use the simple drag-and-drop features, to add content, images, or elements (forms, etc.), which are customizable, and also, all effects can be added from a visual interface, with no requirement of prior knowledge of coding languages. This makes it even more appealing to beginners.
- Support for Custom Requirements:- This software provides customizable support for features related to personal requirements, such as, if you wish to build an e-commerce website, you can choose from specific custom layouts, or if you want to perform search engine optimization (SEO) for your website, tools are available to help you.
- Web Hosting/Publishing:- Unlike many other web design tools, this software provides support right until your website is published for the world to see. From providing personalized domain names to publishing your site from within WebEasy itself, assistance is provided at every step.
- The Markdown Feature:- One does not physically need to write any code. They can use page builders of different kinds, including photo albums, and blogs, and the code will be dynamically generated by the software.
- Autosave, and Versions:- Something that many contemporary software with the same premise have not thought of, RapidWeaver saves your project dynamically, and also allows you to revert to previous versions with ease.
- Themes and Add-ons:- Unlike other web design software, there are no limitations. One can easily design custom themes for the workflow and web pages, and in fact, there are a number of third-party companies who do exactly that. Templates are available in plenty to choose from. Moreover, the functionality of this program by itself, which will hence result in more options for web design, can be increased with the help of add-ons, such as plug-ins.
- All the basic features, like Coding with HTML, CSS, and Javascript, Support to Design Responsive Websites, a Workflow Organizer, and so on, are available, and one can even publish their website easily from within RapidWeaver itself.
- Easy Visual Editor:- Since the WYSIWYG mechanism is followed, users can easily see how changes will appear in the browser view if it was an actual published website.
- Publisher:- With a built-in publisher, web pages created on OpenBEXI can easily be made live, using the OpenBEXI Publisher.
- Widgets:- Adding components to the page is very easy, without requiring prior coding experience or knowledge, as photo galleries, charts, forms, and various other elements can be easily added to the page. It also integrates tools that allow you to add dynamic elements (such as dynamic charts, grids, etc.), form input validators, and so on, to your page.
- Drag-and-Drop:- Adding elements to the web page you are designing involves a simple drag-and-drop feature, which is what makes it so appealing to those who are unfamiliar with coding languages. Restructuring, resizing, shifting components around, and determining properties, such as the effect of a mouse-over action, text-wrap, or adding a hyperlink, can also be done with ease.
- Interactive Support:- The software provides a quick overview of all the features it possesses in the beginning, and later too, there is interactive support provided at every step to help beginners.
- Beautiful Themes and Templates:- This software comes with a wide range of themes and templates, to help you build any kind of website, and these have stunning layouts. Meanwhile, you can add elements like photo galleries, widgets for e-commerce sites (integration of web services like PayPal), social networking widgets, location, and much more.
- Wide Support for Languages and Formats:- Not only can you create, open, or edit pages that have not even been created on BlueGriffon originally, but this software supports HTML5, CS3, and lets you create and edit vector graphics with a supported SVG Editor. Using MathML, any mathematical formula can be created in the proper layout. It also supports multiple languages.
- Unbelievable Extensibility:- Everything from obtaining template layouts (for beginners with minimum coding experience), table (and other format) generators, professional CSS editing, web publishing, the Active View mode (that lets you see previews in real time), eye dropper color picker, workflow manager, and even a word count, is possible by using add-ons.
- Using this software, you are given the ability to create and/or edit absolutely any kind of website, web application, and server-end web page. One can even create a website on a remote FTP server to which one has access.
- The software supports web designing using both ASP.NET as well as HTML. For this, it has a built-in web designer.
- Design Mode:- This is a WYSIWYG-format interface, where one can make changes in a more visual interface. A Source Mode is also available for direct coding, and in this mode you have the benefit of auto-correction of code, spell-check, and a code validator
- Availability of Master Plates:- These are templates that are customizable in terms of styling. In the design mode, one can change CSS properties of any element using an easy visual interface.