Xara vs. Dreamweaver

[dcahall]

It really depends on your expertise in web development and what you intend to do.

As others have said, Xara is very graphic oriented and great if you do not need to add any real logic to your web site. However, if you need to connect a database or add any capabilities that involve Javascript, then Xara is not the tool.

However, you tried to compare FrontPage and Dreamweaver which is not a good comparison either. While Dreamweaver also has a fair amount of graphic capability, it does go farther in supporting back-end logic. FrontPage has been replaced by Microsoft with a tool set called Expression Web. Expression Web 4 comes bundled with a graphic tool and a couple of other features which get pretty heavy in to coding. I use Expressions Web pretty frequently for developing web page mockups. However, our emphasis is on functionaly logice for maning work flow and etc (think web application versus web site - there are drastic differences).

I have looked at the Xara web design capabilities and find them of little use in our situation because we are not very graphic oriented (lost os lists of purchase orders and many details related to them and the jobs associated with them - very little graphics.

So bottom line here is my expert (OK - you can question my expertise) opinion:

Graphic intensive web sites without a lot of backend logic - Xara
Functionality oriented web site (or application) depending on a fair amount of code - Dreamweaver or Expression Web
Dreamweaver versus Expression Web - Expression Web (particullarly if you are dunning ANY Microsoft Office application is less than 1/4 the cost of Dreamweaver and Dreamweaver has a lot of behind the scenes proprietary code.

Hope this helps.............

[amoore]

If you need a web authoring app that's more sophisticated than Xara's but still WYSIWYG and good for non-coders (like me), you should look at NetObjects Fusion.

However, I would recommend that you start with Xara Designer Pro and use it until you need to do something XDP can't handle, then start looking for the bigger package.

For one thing, you'll get up and running much more quickly with web building. For another, when and if you do need more, you'll be in a much better position to judge what will fulfill your needs. Just because an application works well for other people doesn't mean it's the right one for you.

Dreamweaver and other apps on that level have a steep learning curve. Would you rather make websites now or spend your time learning how to make them the hard way?

[covoxer]

I hope you undestand my point.

I believe your point is that Dreamweaver+XDP is better than XDP.

[Soquili]

I am not an expert on either but I would like to ask the Xperts, "Is MS Frontpage not as good as Dreamweaver?"

I am asking this question here because of the first post in this thread!

I would appreciate your Xpert opinion.

Hi Rik,

MS Frontpage was last released in 2003. So it is out of date compared to any other program you may try.

MS Expression Web is their current web creation application.

As to what program is best. Depends on your abilities with HTML, CSS, XHTML, etc.

As Allison pointed out if you are not a coder then Net Objects fusion may be best for you.

If you are experienced with coding and have Photoshop and/or Illustrator and lots of money to spend, then Dreamweaver may be your ideal application.

But, as John has pointed out if you want to use your artistic talents without having to learn coding then Web Designer 6 or Designer Pro 6 is ideal.

Just my not so humble opinion.

[Rik]

Hi Bill.

Thanks very much for your reply and info.

I've always used Frontpage (I thought there was a 2007 version also?!) because it's very easy and very intuitive. I've always made my own buttons for the rollovers and used Javascript to do the job. All this means that the web sites I've done are pretty basic - no forums and nothing to sell and therefore no need to set up accounts etc...

That's why I've found Frontpage very good and very easy to use.

I would have to be honest and say that I have not done anything in Xara to do with web sites. Maybe there is an 'easy step by step' tutorial somewhere?!!!

I find that I can control the size of the pages, add tables if necessary and create most of what I want. There are templates and so on.

Now, please don't have a go at me because I'm sure that all this exists in Web Designer and Designer Pro (which I have).

I can only apologise that I just haven't had a look because I am only learning Xtreme (Designer) and never had Web designer. If you know what I mean?

This was a web page that I designed for a company but never used:-
www.rikdatta.com/flowdrains.htm

But I will be soon as that company was sold and the original people now have another company. So, I can still use this design for the new company - but my question would be, "Is it easy to set this up in Designer?"

You can see the menu buttons are on the left with rollovers for the top two buttons to demonstrate. Of course all the buttons would work if I finish the design.

[covoxer]

my question would be, "Is it easy to set this up in Designer?"

Very easy.

[Soquili]

Most of the confusion about a 2007 Frontpage release is due to a lot of web sites offering Frontpage when they were either selling the 2003 version or in some cases the first release of Expression Web under the Frontpage name.

If you are an experienced Frontpage user and want to begin using Web Designer or Designer Pro you would need to forget all things Frontpage.

There are no tables within either Xara Designer application.

Your FlowDrains example could very easily be recreated using either Web Designer or Designer Pro. The approach would be radically different from Frontpage and actually easier to create once you have a firm grasp of how the web features function.

As with all things related to Xara software you can never go wrong by going to the XaraXone.

A good place to start would be Gary's wookbook 82:
http://www.xaraxone.com/webxealot/workbook82/

[zumwalt]

Under just about any circumstance, Xara is an indispensable tool for web design. You just need to understand the limits before you put yourself into situations that could become a major headache.

If you're doing your sites yourself, data intensity is minimal, and "look" generally takes precedence over data delivery, Xara can do a lot.

If you're linking to secure data, collaborating with other web designers on your site, and need maximum speed and responsiveness, you'll need solutions in addition to Xara.

Dreamweaver, Frontpage (now Expression Web), and Sharepoint designer, as well a more technical applications, such as Visual Studio, etc can all be useful tools depending on your platform and circumstances.

I mean this respectfully: probably if you need to ask the question, Xara is all you need. But if you're like many, once you start down the road or work with demanding clients, you'll want more and more capabilities. That's what keeps the Xara developers busy.

[tonylondon]

If all you want to do is to create and maintain your own web site and have not done so before, then the Xara solution is probably everything you need, and is certainly the cheapest option.

I use Dreamweaver because I sometimes have to maintain sites designed by others, or collaborate with others. I can read the web-posted pages into Dreamweaver and modify them for most existing web sites, something not possible with Xara or similar programs. I use it also because I find it very simple to use. I don't design anything really complicated. In Dreamweaver it isn't necessary to understand the code, but it certainly helps if you want to make the most of the program.

After playing around with Web Designer, I came to the conclusion that I did not want to invest any more of my time in learning how to use it, as I had already invested my time over the years in learning an acceptable alternative that met all my needs.

However, I do use Designer Pro for all my vector graphics and Photoshop for photos, both for web sites and other applications.

[xtom]

Xara vs Dreamweaver is a bit like comparing graphics vs coding. You can more easily and more quickly create a complete good looking website using just Xara than using just Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver is mainly a code editor and you're going to need additional graphics software with it to create unique good looking websites. Xara is mainly graphical but it also does a really good job at exporting wysiwyg websites and combines a lot of vector/raster tools into one package and it even has good flash capabilities.

There are many website code editors out there that you can use instead of Dreamweaver, Dreamweaver is possibly the best but it's also 10 times more expensive than other code editors that are actually better than it in some ways.

If you want to create a good looking website quickly and easily then use Xara. If you want to go hardcore on a website you can prototype/create your graphics in Xara and then use just about any code editor to piece it all together and do whatever you want code wise.