Software Reviews

Software Reviews

What's hot, and what's not? Our reviews help you decide what's right for you before you spend your hard-earned money or time on software that just isn't right for you.

Software

HTML Editors

NoteTab Pro
If you're comfortable with HTML and CSS and don't want or need a WYSIWYG program, then NoteTab Pro may be the editor for you. Its many features and clip libraries make it an excellent choice for getting down and dirty in the midst of your code. By Lee Underwood. February 1, 2006

Rapid PHP 2005
Of the many editors available for creating (X)HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP pages, several combine a few different yet compatible languages. Some include support and a few manage to make it work seamlessly. RapidPHP 2005 belongs in the latter category. By Lee Underwood. June 24, 2005.

NetObjects Fusion 8
The first major upgrade since June 2002, version 8 of NetObjects Fusion adds major improvements to the package, such as advanced publishing options, a component manager, a table properties interface, data importing ability, etc.

CSS Editors

Layout Master 1.1
Creating a layout with CSS can be quite complicated. And even though some WYSIWYG HTML editors offer visual authoring, many Web designers prefer to code by hand. Layout Master 1.1 is a powerful editing tool designed to help remedy that problem.

Style Master v.3.5
Cascading Style Sheets are an important element of current web design. Today, Lee Underwood examines Westciv's Style Master, an application dedicated to the creation and tweaking of Style Sheets.

HTML/CSS Editors

TopStyle Pro 3.11
There are many ways to create and edit Web pages and style sheets. Using TopStyle Pro is one method. TopStyle was created by Nick Bradbury, creator of the HomeSite HTML editor. For those of you who like HomeSite, you'll love TopStyle Pro. This program is jam-packed with all kinds of features.

XHTML Editors

Hypertext Builder 2003
As more and more Web sites are being coded with XHTML, a new generation of software editors are now XHTML-specific. One of those editors is Hypertext Builder 2003, a true XHTML editor.

Graphics Editors/Manipulators

Wacom Intuos 3
Shopping for new drawing tablet? Then check out the new Intuos 3. With it's revamped layout, it improves the drawing/painting experience.

Informatix Piranesi
Named after Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a famous architect in the 1700s, Piranesi is what I'd call a hybrid application, one that spans the gap between different software programs such as Lightwave, AutoCad and Photoshop.

RSS Creators

FeedForAll 1.0
RSS technology is really taking off. According to a recent study, 5% of Internet users say they use RSS. That's almost 46,700,000 users! As a Web developer, part of your job may be to create RSS feeds or develop a method that a client can use directly. In the past, this was usually done manually or through the use of Perl scripts, but now there are several software applications that make the creation process much easier. FeedForAll is one of those programs.

ListGarden RSS Feed Generator
RSS is one of the hottest technologies on the Web today. Most blogging and content management systems have RSS file creation capability built in, but if you're not using one of those programs, it can be a bit tedious. Enter the ListGarden RSS Feed Generator.

Search Engine Tools

Advanced Web Ranking
The strategy of obtaining high search engine results for a Web site is known as search engine optimization. Once you've selected and implemented your keywords, you need to be able to track them, which could be a time intensive process. Enter the Advanced Web Ranking application, a program created for that very purpose.

AdWords Analyzer vs. KeyWords Analyzer
Google and Overture campaigns succeed or fail, largely as a result of keyword research. This article is an examination of two keyword research applications and what they will do for your online success.

File Transfer

FTPEditor Pro 3.1
Small edits of Web pages can be a cumbersome task, especially if you have to correct a grammar or spelling mistake. Usually, you have to open the file in an editing program, correct the mistake, save the file and upload it. Now, there's a way to bypass much of this work using FTPEditor.

WebDrive v6.05
Uploading and downloading files is a common task for a webmaster. Normally that's accomplished by using one of several programs, but here's another solution - WebDrive, which integrates WebDAV, FTP, or SFTP servers into the Windows desktop by mapping them to a network drive letter.

Miscellaneous

Blosxom
If you spend any amount of time on the Web, it's a pretty safe guess that you've heard of blogs. Basically, a blog is an online journal, but it's used for a wide variety of applications, such as businesses keeping their customers updated on current products, political topics, news blogs and more. This week, we look at Blosxom "pronounced blossom," a popular blogging script. By Lee Underwood. November 8, 2005

Web Link Validator
Broken links can become a major headache for Web developers, especially if a site is rich with links. Since it's not feasible to physically check each link by hand, it makes sense to use a software program that will automate the process. One such program is Web Link Validator. By Lee Underwood. May 20, 2005

Quask FormArtist Professional
If you do a lot of web design work, chances are that you've had to create forms, which can be a time consuming task. If you've been looking for an easier way of getting the job done, check out Quask FormArtist.

Macromedia Drumbeat 2000
Aneesha Bakharia reviews Macromedia Drumbeat 2000. Does this Web development tool make creating "dynamic, database- driven sites" as easy as it claims?

BeOS 5
Eric Cook offers a look at BeOS 5, the new free operating system that's creating a stir. Does it live up to the hype?

Scripts

'Wimpy' Streaming Media Tools
Adding multimedia to a Web site can make it more attractive and appealing to your visitors but the process can be difficult, even if you know what you're doing. Fortunately, there are other options, such as Wimpy, which is easy to install and use. By Lee Underwood. February 6, 2006

Perlfect Search
When designing Web sites, one of the goals is to provide effective navigation to aid visitors in finding what they want, such as creating a site map or an internal search engine. One solution to the search engine issue is to use scripts, in this case, Perlfect Search.

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