I agree with dotme....web 2.0 is a much needed addition to the Webstyle theme library, as well as some pure css template choices.
Myself, I recently finished a degree in web development, and still find myself using Webstyle for tweaking the brain for layout, color, and site ideas. It's a great tool, and often gets the creative juices flowing.
I'll tell you what Webstyle DOES need, to bring it into the next version upgrade, and it wouldn't be that hard. Create a module with the tools to create Wordpress templates.
Wordpress is cutting edge open source web development, with a tremendous global community, with plugins and themes and coding that has made it the outstanding first choice of some of the biggest Fortune 500 companies using blog tech to connect with the world of their consumers and investors.
www. wordpress .org
Themes are simple graphical layouts that create the 1/2/3 column layouts, with header and footer designs that all can make use of graphical and css layout techniques...and ALL of this could be automated to a huge degree, letting the end user of this potential Webstyle upgrade do the following...
1) choose layouts based on pixel width (640 to 1024 px wide), no. of columns, css font choices, info box creation, using css connection, and all kinds of basic choices. Pick a few check boxes or radio buttons, and output a complete theme ready to copy to the Wordpress Theme directory.
2) create header graphics from any photo or image, sized for the layout choices above, with ability to customize with 2.0 tools (gradients, borders, glossy, reflections, etc). There are internet marketing tools for a very vertical market that JUST do the header, and go for $80.
3) Create theme sets with minor changes possible for font/color/col. #, with HEAVY focus on 2.0 design ideals.
4) Consider any other Wordpress development ideals such as plugin creation templates, ecommerce/paypal button generators with custom Webstyle styling, and a library of PHP code of a few dozen tools (date, db access, etc).
5) Bring a few of the WP geeks in to prototype some of these ideas.
With these ideas, you're jumping right into CURRENT web dev mainstream end-user needs, with simple automated solutions that let first timers with a little talent and a great tool share their ideas and solutions with a world audience, and you give current Webstyle users a very BIG reason to UPGRADE.
Other ideas for Webstyle....
Logos and 3D graphics....WEB 2.0 additions
photo galleries ... FLASH management and display...
ADD - simple form creation tools, with many pre-done layouts...comment form, login box, email list signup, etc.
Menus - Visit Opencube.com. I purchased a license for this menu creation and development tool, and I've NOT found a better, cross browser, and easily editable tool anywhere. Duplicate some of those tools (user choice of graphic backgrounds, dividers, etc) in the Menu Maker area.
These are just thoughts off the top of my head, but a VERY worthwhile direction for Xara/Magix to go, for CONTINUED Webstyle revenue, and ROI.
You've got a good and decent tool. Spend a bit of time to update it. There are tens of thousands of new wordpress users every month, and most would LOVE a tool like this, if it could be developed.
Rich
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