Im learning HTML and CSS right now, I cant really understand what Dreamweaver does... do you not need to know HTML and CSS to use dreamweaver?

Yes.

 

Dreamweaver has a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWIG) editor. Unfortunately designing html websites with it can have detrimental final results - i.e. badly written non-semantic and unvalidated html.

Dreamweaver is a really bad attempt to let people build web pages without learning HTML and CSS. The code it produces in Design View is a joke.

 

It's a fairly decent editor in Code View, but it's not worth the money when there are better alternatives avaiable completely free, like Netbeans.

Edited February 2, 201313 yr by Renaissance-Design

Dreamweaver is a really bad attempt to let people build web pages without learning HTML and CSS. The code it produces in Design View is a joke.

 

It's a fairly decent editor in Code View, but it's not worth the money when there are better alternatives avaiable completely free, like Netbeans. I was thinking of getting it... I'll lookup this netbeans thing you speak of!

Juelz, If you want to learn to make sites the "proper" way check out Lyndas "Essential Dreamweaver Training" Series - I learnt how to make sites from that basically.

 

If you want a quick site builder get artisteer, it's fantastic in my opinion, and great at knocking out cheap sites.

As said, no you don't need to use HTML, CSS, etc. but the resulting value of the code will be terrible.

 

I use Dreamweaver in Coder mode, it's a lot more efficient than notepad or basic editors... automatically colours different types of tags, highlights unclosed tags, auto-closes tags when you type in </, offers suggestions to auto-complete tags you are writing. Stuff like that.

 

There are much cheaper solutions, and I really only use Dreamweaver because it came with my Adobe Suite. Still a pretty useful tool.

Put it this way is there a FREE alternative that does exactly (or near enough) what DW does? I need something that can create professional looking websites, a free option would ofcourse be better but obviously there isnt much things that are free that is worth having lol

If you're learning to code, the last thing you want is dreamweaver. in fact any "WYSIWYG" editor will only slow your skills development down. Personally I use www.aptana.com ,free, feature rich and powerful.

The other main advantage of learning HTML and CSS rather than simply using DreamWeaver is that your skills are transferable. You can pick up any HTML editor and know how to use it because you've learned the code rather than the program.

 

Or, to answer the main question more directly: no it's not essential as such, but a very good use of time.

If you're learning to code, the last thing you want is dreamweaver. in fact any "WYSIWYG" editor will only slow your skills development down. Personally I use www.aptana.com ,free, feature rich and powerful.

 

I don't think that's strictly true. I learned to code using Dreamweaver- nobody *forces* you to use the design view...

 

I've used a whole host of others and for me none of them come close to the functionality of DW. It's a shame really that I can't put it on my Ubuntu laptop!

There are advantages in learning html and css in creating a simple webpage rather than simply using DreamWeaver is that your skills are transferable.Dreamweaver is a really bad attempt to let people build web pages without learning HTML and CSS.

I now use dreamweaver, but when i was learning i used notepad++

For me Sublime Text 2 is amazingly fast to use. Its just got so many features that I couldn't live with out now. Obviously Its not a WYSIWYG editor though.

 

Just wanted to add a nod to Sublime Text 2.

 

Back to the original post - I think it depends on how much HTML and CSS you already know. It really comes down to learning whilst playing around with it and breaking it to see what whats and what doesn't.

 

What kind of site do you want? I ask because im wondering if it may be better to get a 'Professional Looking' website by just hiring someone to build you a site with a CMS.

I have always used HTML Editor unless on the machines on my campus which have the full Adobe CS6 suite. Are some of the suggestions posted like Netbeans and Artisteer much better?

 

Thanks

Put it this way is there a FREE alternative that does exactly (or near enough) what DW does? I need something that can create professional looking websites, a free option would ofcourse be better but obviously there isnt much things that are free that is worth having lol

 

 

If you're learning to code, the last thing you want is dreamweaver. in fact any "WYSIWYG" editor will only slow your skills development down. Personally I use www.aptana.com ,free, feature rich and powerful.

 

 

I don't think that's strictly true. I learned to code using Dreamweaver- nobody *forces* you to use the design view...

 

I've used a whole host of others and for me none of them come close to the functionality of DW. It's a shame really that I can't put it on my Ubuntu laptop!

Stick with learning HTML and CSS rather than using a (WYSIWIG) editor as with WYSIWIG your websites are not going to be W3C HTML / CSS compliant.

Edited February 15, 201313 yr by rallport
Removed spammy image attachment as it is not relevant

obcourse you must know first how to use html and css in working with dreamweaver.

2013 people.

 

Use Brackets

2013 people.

 

Use Brackets

from the site: "Brackets is still in the oven and needs to bake a little longer before it's a full-featured code editor. The milestone builds available on download.brackets.io

are there for contributors and those special kind of crazy designers

and developers who like to live on the edge. Performance, stability and

features are all in flux. Use at your own risk."

I used Dreamweaver whilst learning, so started from scratch with it. And whilst I would say I learnt a lot from using it, I have now found most of what I learnt was either wrong or outdated. It seemed to unnecessarily complicate certain things so personally I wouldn't recommend it. That said I still use it as a code editor and like the way the files are structured (perhaps just because I'm used to it). Really looking for an alternative that is as good UI wise, trying to get into Sublime Text 2.

2013 people.

 

Use Brackets

 

First i've heard of this, looks interesting. I'm downloading it as I type this, thanks for the link

 

As dap pointed out apparently it is still in production/testing/beta/whatever, but I don't necessarily think that would be an issue. It's free, after all and if it works, awesome. If it doesn't, no harm done.

First i've heard of this, looks interesting. I'm downloading it as I type this, thanks for the link

 

As dap pointed out apparently it is still in production/testing/beta/whatever, but I don't necessarily think that would be an issue. It's free, after all and if it works, awesome. If it doesn't, no harm done.

It also auto updates in your browser and when your editing a css rule, it highlights all the elements that that css rule applies to. It's truly a help for debugging.

 

Add Emmet/Zen Coding to it and you truly have a lightweight text editor suitable for making websites

Hi Juelz. If you don't wan't to learn HTML CSS ect. you might want to consider to install some sort of CMS framework on your server. Wordpress, Joomla and Drupal are FREE, profesional systems used by many big corporations. They have build in WYSIWYGs with the optiom to "fix" unvalid HTML. You can choose to install custom themes or modify an existing themes with css. Your code will be valid and SEO friendly.

Hi, lots of interesting comments in this topic.

 

Do you need to know HTML and CSS to use dreamweaver?.......No.

 

Do you need to know HTML and CSS to make a GOOD website with dreamweaver?.......Yes.

Three years ago I knew nothing about web development/design, all I knew was how to use photoshop to make some simple flyers.

 

Dreamweaver gave me the chance to learn HTML and CSS where the many books I bought could not, I could not get to grip with code and got rid of the books.

There were no computers when I was at school, and never had a chance to learn coding while young, as an middle-aged guy I found it extremely difficult to find the right systematic approach that schooling offers, books throw mumbo-jumbo around from page one making it look like some magical language only accessible by natural born nerds.

 

The design/code view allowed me to see direct influence of certain code live, and after playing around with dreamweaver for about 6 months I understood and was able to use HTML and CSS.

 

Now I still use dreamweaver, but rarely use the design view cause I mostly write php pages and there is no live preview for this, and I also dont use ANY of the dreamweaver build in bull**** anymore, it does create sloppy and bad coded websites if you rely on their build in code.

 

But I like the combination of the code/design view (sometimes it is handy to see some of my html elements in live view) and I like the FTP upload interface, very easy to connect to my servers.

 

I am trying to make myself use notepad+ more, but am stilldrawn towards dreamweaver every time.

 

P.H.

Dreamweaver is the best software for building webpages. But, it is difficult for the beginners. Instead of using this, I suggest to use Sublime Text or Notepad++ editor.