Will there be a Xara Designer Pro 7 later this year? What about CMS integration?

[sdbritton]

Hi Folks,

I see where Web Designer 7 has just come out. I checked it out briefly and noticed that is strictly a tool for web development. I have been using Xara for more than a decade and I wonder if they are going to continue the recent pattern and release a new version of the graphics software this summer (June, I think?).

And while I am writing this post, I want to suggest to the Xara folks that they start adding some CMS integration features in their Web Developer and Designer Pro products.

All the websites that I develop these days use an open source content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. I noticed that Xara has not included any features to tie into these CMSs. I want to make the Xara developers aware that this is the future of web development (well, at least for now :-) and they should consider making their products CMS friendly.

If you want to see an example for a great tool to design CMSs, check out Artisteer. http://www.artisteer.com/

I have no use for the Xara Web Developer with its current feature set. If a client wants to see a demo, I can just send them a mock-up using Xara Designer Pro 6 and saving it in a PNG format. I don't have time to create live demos.

If the Xara folks are going to add web design features to an already outstanding vector graphics tool, please include features that I can put to use.

All best,

Steve

[gwpriester]

OK.

[Albacore]

I wasn't going to reply to this thread but thought I just had to. If you have been using Xara for more than a decade you will know that it is a graphic programme so why try to relate it to a programme that generates CSS and that is all. A few years ago Xara improved its text engine which has allowed it to expand its capabilities in DTP and with a few tweaks and a export filter for crude htlm. It doesn't take much learning of both Joomla or WordPress to do the same as Artiseer does now just a bit of understanding of CSS and a small amount of coding and I mean small. I am a great believer in using the right tools to do a certain job and I would never consider using a graphics programme as a dynamic html editor or to generate a template via a plugin.

[pauland]

If you want to see an example for a great tool to design CMSs, check out Artisteer. http://www.artisteer.com/

I think artisteer is about customising templates, not the creation of original artwork.

Here's the obvious question: If artisteer is a great example of using a CMS why not just ditch Xara and use it?

The xara software has some technical issues with full support for CMS systems and it's roots are in design not full-featured backend systems.

[frits]

I want to add a CMS that I have been looking at and that has potensional and that is www.Textpattern.com

[flexiverse]

SiteGrinder is a the best tool to covert a "photoshop" into proper logical real world use CSS.

I feel Xara Web designer CSS is useless. I design in Xara, but never use it to export, either pay someone to convert or use sitegrinder.

Xara are missing out on a MASSIVE opportunity here. If they did their version of sitegrinder - they would make a lot of dosh.


1. design in xara
2. export to photoshop
3. use photoshop - sitegrinder to output css
4. the css is well constructed.

now if I could output decent html/css rather than use photoshop/sitegrinder that would be cool.