Product Review: HomeSite/TopStyle, page 2
February 9, 2000
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It isn't the new things about Allaire's latest version of
HomeSite that makes it a great choice for professional web
builders. The key to version 4.5 is something its predecessors
have offered a long time - quality.
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Another way to find and cure problems is through CodeSweeper,
a feature which checks your html formatting.
HomeSite 4.5 includes TopStyle Lite, an excellent cascading
stylesheet editor. While veterans may prefer to create their
stylesheets in the regular HomeSite window without any help,
those who are new to the game can greatly benefit by using
this feature.
Project management advances include virtual folders for
easier file and resource management, a site deployment
wizard to send your project to a server, and team deployment
so that all those working with you can keep up to date with
changes.
Other features include link verification, document weighting,
spell checking, and the ability to import text files and have
them converted immediately to basic html formatting.
One of my favorite features of HomeSite 4.5 is that not only
does it show you a window with your files in it, it allows
you to create folders, delete files, rename them, and preview
images (for those of us who forget what we name them at the
time of creation).
The tricky part about HomeSite 4.5 is that it offers all of
these features without cluttering up the screen. There's
nothing worse than opening all the windows you need only
to discover you have about two square inches in which to
work. No problem with HomeSite. The basic look appears to
be virtually unchanged, and for those who have used earlier
versions, that considerably reduces the adjustment curve.
There are not a lot of things about version 4.5 to not like.
Sure, it could use the applets and scripts mentioned above,
and it would be nice to see how your work translates into
Netscape form in the internal preview window (you can,
however, preview externally in either Internet Explorer or
Netscape).
But despite its few shortcomings, HomeSite 4.5's price tag
of $89 is a bargain.
| What's it called again? HomeSite (version 4.5) |
| Where can you get it?
http://www.allaire.com |
| How big is it? 13MB |
| What does it cost? $89 US electronic download; $99 packaged CD-ROM version. |
| What are some of the features? See above. |
| Is it worth your time? You better believe it! |
TopStyle
For those creatures of habit who prefer creating their own
stylesheets, TopStyle is definitely overkill. But for those
less familiar with the options available, it is somewhat
akin to trading up from a Pinto to a Ferrari.
There are two versions of TopStyle - the Lite version that
comes with HomeSite 4.5, and a feature-laden full version
that sells for $49.95.
From the very beginning, the full version lets you know it
isn't just another run of the mill style editor. It opens
by providing a number of options to match your needs. That
is, it provides a choice of creating a CSS style from an
existing file, creating a template, or creating a new
document.
When you choose a selector (i.e., paragraph, table data, etc.),
all of the possible properties show up in the Style Inspector.
Click on a property, and a drop-down box appears with the
many options available.
In addition to recording your choices in CSS style, the
program also gives you a WYSIWIG view of your selections.
Please note that when you try the external browser preview,
current versions of Netscape are unavailable. However, in
the full version the Netscape-to-come - Gecko - is there.
That is because Netscape has, in the past, been incapable
of being embedded in other applications, but that is soon
to change with Gecko.
You can design browser-specific stylesheets, including IE
3-5, Netscape 4, and Opera 3.5. TopStyle will warn you when
a choice you have made is not supported by a particular
browser.
Nick Bradbury, the man who created HomeSite, is the also
the man who created TopStyle. That said, it is understandable
why the program is highly customizable and efficient, if
not somewhat more expensive than using HomeSite itself to
create your stylesheet by hand.
| What's it called again? TopStyle
(version 1.0); TopStyle Lite with HomeSite 4.5 |
| Where can you get it? http://www.allaire.com or
http://www.bradsoft.com |
| How big is it? 2.1 MB |
| What does it cost? $49.95. |
| What are some of the features?
Ease of use, thoroughness. |
| Is it worth your time? If you need help creating
stylsheets, it may be the best available. |
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