Web-page design programs grow in tandem
by Alan Zisman
(c) 1998. First
published in Toronto Computes,
October
1998
Adobe PageMill 3.0. $149
Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, 800-411-8657,
408-536-6000; www.adobe.com
Symantec Visual Page, $129
Symantec Corp., Cupertino, CA, 800-441-7234;
541-334-6054; www.cafe.symantec.com
There are a lot of people out there working with HTML,
the language
of the Web. Some would suggest that real Web page designers don?t need
specialized tools?they?re happy working with the code directly, using
Windows
Notepad or the Mac?s SimpleText or something. Maybe a somewhat more
comprehensive
programmer?s editor, like BBEdit on the Mac.
But there?s a large market for tools that cover up the
bare bones, and
give designers something more akin to a desktop publisher?software that
lets you create a Web page while looking at something that resembles
the
final output. Some of these tools are free?Netscape Composer is part of
that company?s Communicator Suite. And not to be left behind, Microsoft
includes Front Page Express as an optional component of Internet
Explorer
4.0 and Windows 98.
These free tools are not bad?they let a wannabe Web
designer graphically
work with pages, adding images and links, and creating tables. But
frames?
Java? Image maps? Not with the freebies, thanks.
Other beginning users work with a program they?re
already comfortable
with, such as their word processor or desktop publisher, but again,
find
themselves either severely limited, or in the case of DTP software, too
often creating slow-loading pages featuring out-and-out weird HTML
code.
Last year, we took a look at two programs, Adobe
PageMill and Symantec
Visual Page which had a lot in common. Both were graphical Web page
creation
programs. Both started out on the Mac, and now are available for
Windows
as well. Both offered similar feature sets, and sold for similar prices
(about CDN$120-150).
They have somewhat different interfaces, and when push
came to shove,
last year, we found Symantec?s product offered a bit more than Adobe?s,
and awarded it the prize.
But now, continuing in synch, each has offered an
updated version, so
we?re taking another look, this time at Adobe PageMill 3.0 vs Symantec
Visual Page 2.0. We looked at the Windows versions; again in synch,
both
companies released those prior to the Mac version. We?ve previously
looked
at another similar product, HomePage 3.0, from Apple?s FileMaker
(formerly
Claris) division.
Staying in synch, the biggest additions to both (along
with HomePage),
are site management features (previously included by Adobe in a
separate,
Mac-only product, SiteMill). These make it easier to maintain a
collection
of interlinked pages, to find broken links, and more. Drag a page
to a different location on the outline, and links throughout the site
automatically
update to reflect the changes. Correct an e-mail address, and it is
fixed
throughout the site.
Both allow users to preview pages, either in the
editing program, or
in the browser(s) of their choice. Both allow live Java applets in the
editing window (PageMill also allows ActiveX applets). Such features
help
narrow the gap between these programs and heavy-weights such as
Microsoft
Front Page.
At the same time, both lack support for some advanced
features like
Dynamic HTML. Visual Page still doesn?t allow for borderless frames,
though
that?s now included in PageMill. However, to keep things even, only
Visual
Page lets users create pages with frames that include a frame-less
version
for older browsers.
I liked PageMill?s Property Inspector?a floating
toolbox, whose contents
change depending on what?s currently selected. It makes it easy to
change
virtually any part of your Web page. Also nice is the pasteboard for
storing
graphics and text until you?re ready to use them. The program?s find
feature
allows you to drag in an image, and use it to replace another
throughout
the entire Web site.
PageMill includes PhotoShop LE, a powerful way to work
on graphics (though
nowhere near as nice as Adobe?s new, web-focused ImageReady graphics
program).
Visual Page lacks any graphics-creation add-ins.
Missing from PageMill however are templates. It?s not
as easy as it
should be to apply a standardized design to a site?s worth of pages. No
support for cascading style sheets, which are supported in Visual Page.
Awkwardly, when you view source code in PageMill, it?s displayed within
the graphic view?s frame, rather than in a separate window, as in
Visual
Page. If you start with a narrow frame, it may become impossible to
read
the code.
While both programs offer slim, printed Get Started
manuals, only Visual
Page includes a printed main manual?the rest of PageMill?s
documentation
is on the CD in Adobe Acrobat format, which is difficult to read
on-screen
without excessive scrolling.
There?s no clear winner in this competition?if you?re
looking to create
and maintain a relatively simple Web or intranet site, you won?t go far
wrong with either of these programs. While neither offers the wealth of
features of a more powerful program like Microsoft Front Page, they are
both easier to use. As well, both create reasonably clean code that
will
work equally well in both major browser. Either will prove a good
choice
for the target audience: home users, schools, and small businesses.