Layout with ease, pages in a snap
Written: Jun 25 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of workspace for your document, easy to understand and use, great graphics libraries, comprehensive help menu, doesn't require HTML knowledge, FTP upload available, assistants and templates provided
Cons: Um... I'm thinking, I'm thinking.. nope, none
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| QueenLyssa's Full Review: Filemaker Claris Homepage |
I've been authoring HTML for two years, so I know a bit about authoring tools. Claris HomePage is quite simply the best software out there if you want a balance of easy and intuitive interface and extended advanced authoring capability.
I learned HTML the hard way, by cracking open the source of pages I liked and studying the tags until I understood their functions. I started out with text editing on BB Edit, but quickly figured out that there had to be an easier and faster way to get attractive layout results than messing about calculating pixels and table attributes, then pulling it up in a browser to see if it looked decent. It seldom did. I looked into WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors and downloaded every demo I could find.
After clunking through Adobe PageMaker, PageSpinner, and a host of other authoring tools, I despaired of finding an editor that offered the ease of a desktop publishing program and the functionality of a text-based HTML editor. At last I found a demo of Claris HomePage. I knew and trusted the name Claris after years of working with ClarisWorks, now AppleWorks, the excellent Macintosh DP software, so I quickly downloaded it to give it a try.
Here was the answer to my dreams! Like PageMaker, HomePage switches easily between HTML and layout editing, but unlike the Adobe software, does so without taking up half your workspace with menus and toolbars that you must constantly switch between and turn off and on. I didn't even need a tutorial on it, although an excellent one is provided for those who are just getting started in web publishing. The menus and toolbars were easy to understand and contained all of the most commonly used commands just a quick click away.
HomePage gives you the same sort of window to work with that you'll see in your browser, allowing you to see while you are working what your page will look like. Space for your document view is saved by toolbar commands opening up dialogue windows that float over your page and can be easily moved or closed without having to change your page view. Previews can be viewed within HomePage or in your browsers so you can make sure your page is compatible with all browser types.
Image sizes are automatically calculated and inserted into your HTML for you, and table calculations are a snap since you merely have to switch measurement mode from percent to pixels or resize the table to create hard sizes for your tables and cells. Almost any page can be created without having to once refer to the HTML, a big plus for those who don't have the time or the desire to learn code or who are visual creators. HomePage will even generate matching tags for you if you're working in HTML and forget to add in an ending tag.
The Object Editor allows you to set all the variables you'll need with your graphics and tables, including size, alignment, border, alternate labels, extra attributes, transparency for gifs, even image maps and form submission buttons. The Link Editor allows you to type in links, browse for links, or link to an open page or recently used link, plus set target frames and add extra attributes. In the Document Editor you can give your page a title, set your text and background colors, browse for a background image, set your base URL and target frame, and add extended attributes to your <HEAD>, <HTML>, and <BODY> tags. All three editors are conveniently placed in the toolbar.
For those completely at a loss as to where to begin with their page, HomePage includes a variety of assistants and templates for everything from online resumes to frame documents that will guide you step by step to creating your site. Multi-page sites can be viewed and edited all at once via site manager documents.
HomePage also has easy to use libraries, which you can use to store images and text. This is handy for keeping sets of matching graphics at your fingertips or for text such as navigation that you use on multiple pages. HomePage comes with several pre-fabricated libraries of coordinated graphics in a wide variety of colors and styles. Drag and drop capability makes getting the graphic from your library to your page a breeze, and when you get it the way you like, you can click on the consolidate tool to automatically move the graphics into the same folder as your page (or the designated folder of your choice) and update the HTML so that it's all ready to be uploaded to your server. Another tool will verify your local links and references and advise you of any broken ones so you can fix them.
Once your page is ready to upload, HomePage will even take care of that for you with its FTP upload feature. For updates, HomePage will look through your site and only upload those pages that have had changes made since the last upload, saving you the task of individual file hunting.
From start to finish HomePage offers a user-friendly interface and plenty of room to see what you're doing. The Help menu is comprehensive and easy to understand, and everything is included to get you from blank page to fantastic website on your very first try. If you're the type of person who has more fun creating than coding, get Claris HomePage. You'll get all the benefits of an understandable WYSIWYG editor and still be able to dig in the code whenever you feel like it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
QueenLyssa
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Member: Lyssa Jaraba
Location: Riverside, CA
Reviews written: 64
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
It's good to be queen.
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