Macaw/Weblow/Reflow etc

welshdragon · 11 Oct 2014 at 17:02

Hey Guys,

I currently use Microsoft Expression Web for making web sites/pages etc

I can switch between design/code etc which also helps me learn as I am learning html/css etc also.

EW is getting a bit long in the tooth now so I am looking at getting something new.

MACAW looks good as does weblfow. Basically I want something that can let me makes sites with a GUI or delve into the code as I wish. Pinegrow also looks good.

What do you guys recommend? Not looking to spend huge amounts ala Adobe pricing but not looking to skimp either

Neodite · 12 Oct 2014 at 06:34

Why do you need one that you can switch to design view?

Sublime text and a web browser is all you will ever need.

welshdragon · 12 Oct 2014 at 10:47

thanks for the suggestion, I like the look of Sublime Text. I also like Pinegrow.

I want something though which is a text editor with live preview for when I want to code but also a GUI builder for when I want to know a site up quickly, perhaps using a feature I haven't yet mastered in code?

Macaw seems the better choice for this? Or would something like webflow/dreamweaver be better? Macaw appears to have an easier learning curve?

I'll be giving the various trials a go but just wondering on peoples experiences?

Mynight · 12 Oct 2014 at 16:55

I've always used dreamweaver personally. There's a bit of disparity with dreamweavers "live view" and how it displays in a real browser I use lunascape and a auto reload on file change.

Code in dreamweaver hit save and see it update on all 3 major engines simultaneously.

(If I hadn't been given a dreamweaver license I would have gone for a freebie but there's nothing you can't do in it as far as I'm concerned)

GravyMonster · 12 Oct 2014 at 17:05

Mynight said:
There's a bit of disparity with dreamweavers "live view" and how it displays in a real browser

This is always the problem with WYSIWYG editors. Code in notepad (or any text IDE with handy tools such as statement completion) and test in the browser directly.

Mynight · 12 Oct 2014 at 18:35

Obviously I couldn't hope to write a program like dreamweaver myself but I'd have thought they would be using the same engines as the real browsers. As such I don't really understand how it can be rendered differently :confused:

.

welshdragon · 12 Oct 2014 at 21:01

Cheers guys. Really leaning towards Pinegrow now, seems the right balance for me. Anyone used it or fancy giving the trial a go and letting me know what they think form an experienced point of view?

GravyMonster · 12 Oct 2014 at 21:25

Mynight said:
Obviously I couldn't hope to write a program like dreamweaver myself but I'd have thought they would be using the same engines as the real browsers. As such I don't really understand how it can be rendered differently .

Because every browser has a different renderer, in most cases even between versions of those browsers.

welshdragon · 29 Oct 2014 at 13:26

Just to pick peoples brains. For knocking together a 3/4 page website would Pinegrow be a good way forward?

bcjames · 1 Nov 2014 at 11:20

Number of pages doesn't matter, content and design does. What sort of site is it?

I'll echo the above that sublime and a selection of browsers is more than adequate. If you know some html, css and perhaps php if you want pages to share some content, you could easily put something together writing the code yourself.

welshdragon · 1 Nov 2014 at 19:59

Ok cheers mate. I've somewhat cooled on the idea of one of these bootstrap tools

robotSocks · 1 Nov 2014 at 21:29

MICROSOFT WEBMATRIX FFS

welshdragon · 2 Nov 2014 at 09:42

Okaaay, thanks?

welshdragon · 9 Jan 2016 at 13:11

Bit of a thread revival but what are peoples thoughts on the likes of these now they've matured a bit?

Especially keen on people's thoughts of pinegrow as it seems to have really come on.

Whilst I am learning to code from scratch I like a programme where I can open my site folder up and navigate around it editing etc and seeing things in live time.

kaku · 9 Jan 2016 at 20:23

I don't see the value, personally.

It might be okay for the very short term where you can knock the odd thing up quickly, but you're resigning yourself to be totally dependant on that programme and the libraries it's based on.

As soon as something goes wrong or you need to do something specific for your use, you're stuffed.

Stuff like that is designed for one thing only: to look good in the promo reel to secure the license fee.

welshdragon · 10 Jan 2016 at 14:56

Fair enough. I do like a programme though where I can open a folder holding my site, navigate through the tree to various pages and make changes etc. What would you recommend.

Hate dreamweaver, MS Expression is EOL. Any suggestions welcome?

And whilst learning I do code using a text editor.