A question about the code

**behzad** · 01 March 2009, 01:31 PM

I am new to web design, my concern would be, and maybe you experts in web design can help me out.

My concern is that the code Xara Web designer outputs is it understandable and done cleanly for any web designer to go in and add or edit using dreamweaver or other authoring software?

Is the code efficient, expandable, editable in dreamweaver and other authoring software?

**Soquili** · 01 March 2009, 02:15 PM

Hi Behzad,

If you have Xtreme 4.0 or Xtreme Pro 4.0 open one of the Web Templates from the Clipart Gallery and export it as a website (html).

If you can open that export in Dreamweaver and edit it you can do the same with an exported website from Xara Web Designer.

The first attached image shows an exported Xtreme web template that is open in Microsoft Expression Web. It can be edited in Expression Web, but it is much easier to edit in Xtreme.

The second attachment shows the same exported website html open in Visual Studio 2008 for editing.

I do not have Dreamweaver so I cannot test the Xtreme created website in that application.

However the two different applications I have for editing existing html code can work with the Xtreme export and I'm sure they can work with Web Designer export as well.

**behzad** · 01 March 2009, 03:03 PM

That is great. Yes I am very excited about this program.

**billa** · 01 March 2009, 03:33 PM

Being more a web page creator than a designer, the only thing I will like to see changed is the layout for the various DIV's should be in the CSS file rather than directly on the HTML page.

**nickydude** · 01 March 2009, 03:36 PM

I agree there billa, a seperate style sheet with all CSS instead of on each page like WebStyle used to do would be a lot better. I usually ended up making my own CSS and copy & pasting.

**covoxer** · 01 March 2009, 03:49 PM

You can analize html generated by WD looking at these two sites, completely done in this software:
http://www.xaraxone.com/webxealot/workbook75/index.htm
http://webdesigner.xara.com/

**nickydude** · 01 March 2009, 04:55 PM

WD automatically generated the CSS and link? Brililant!

**Soquili** · 02 March 2009, 12:29 AM

Behzad I think you will find that editing Web Designer created code will be much easier to edit within Web Designer rather than any outside editor.

Because something can be done is not a reason that it should be done.

When asked a question I will provide an answer as I did previously in this thread. However, the answer is just to show it is possible although it may never be the logical way to approach or solve an issue.

**behzad** · 02 March 2009, 12:50 AM

Thank you, yes I agree, but I was thinking on doing the design work, the basics and passing it on to a programmer. I had a friend of mine who is a pro coder to look at it, he said it looks ok.

**Spinny** · 03 March 2009, 02:55 PM

If I may, I think the issue is more can someone without Web Designer take ownership of the code and maintain it using "traditional" means. I'm still skeptical that WD can/will provide for every possible aspect of every web page design; at some point I expect there will be things that are outside WD's scope that will have to be hand-jammed after the fact.

Couple that with some web designers will hand off the code to an owner, who might maintain it themselves or hire someone else to do that job. WD making code that doesn't make such a scenario a hair-puller would be a strong selling point to skeptical HTML-savvy designers.

Sounds like it'll pass that test, which is good. WD marketers, take note!