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Web Design Wars: FrontPage vs. Dreamweaver vs. Expression Web

Web designers have FrontPage to thank for revolutionizing web publishing via the WYSIWYG text editor.  Things have changed drastically since its inception as the web has seen a barrage of new technologies with several other drifting into obscurity.  You probably know that the extremely popular FrontPage client has been discontinued, leaving Adobe Dreamweaver to battle it out with Microsoft’s new web design product, Expression Web.  You can say FrontPage is no longer a contender since it has not received any updates since 2003 and still caters to Internet Explorer 5.0.  IE and the web itself have certainly changed a lot since those updates occurred.

Getting the Most of Both Tools

DreamWeaver is highly regarded as one of the best design tools for just about every project and situation.  In a short amount of time however, Expression Web has proven itself as a worthy competitor.  Although most prefer to choose one or the other, here are reasons why you may want to consider putting both of these tools to work for you based on their strengths and weaknesses:

Extensibility – The Dreamweaver design environment is far more extensible than Expression Web.  In fact, many of the extensions designed for newer versions still work just as well in older versions.  The same cannot be said for Expression Web as most of its extensions must be updated in order to support certain versions.

WYSIWYG – Dreamweaver and Expression Web both have exceptional WYSIWYG design interfaces even though they take different approaches.  Of course, like many such editors, neither display the content exactly how you will see it in a browser, but with all the different browsers and operating systems available today, this is to be expected.  The key is that both are user-friendly and sophisticated with features that allow you to test servers (Dreamweaver) and pages written in ASP.NET or PHP (Expression Web).

Advanced Programming – The area in which Dreamweaver and Expression Web both tower over FrontPage is scripting.  Naturally, Expression Web is an ideal tool for designers who prefer to work with Microsoft technologies such as ASP and ASP.NET while Dreamweaver is better suited for PHP users.  While both offer support for many of the same technologies, they tend to perform better when working with their default language capabilities.

It is difficult to determine a clear-cut winner between Dreamweaver and Expression Web but with FrontPage being shoved out of the picture, you may be forced to pick one in the very near future.  Though incredibly powerful in their own right, one could say that neither is as easy to use as FrontPage since both require you to have a general knowledge of HTML and CSS.  In order to excel with these programs, you need to have a basic understanding of how the web works and the underlying technologies that keep it thriving.  Because neither tool is flawless and has features the other lacks, you may decide to combine their powers and leverage the best of both worlds.   

Website Automation Programming Scripts

Today it seems that every other website owner is looking for ways to implement automated features into their site.  After all, these type of sites tend to be far more effective than those which are non-dynamic and simply present boring text.  Automated features cannot only make your site easier to use for visitors, but easier for you to manage as well.  There are many ways to achieve automation and almost all of them require the use of client-side or server-side scripting.

Common Usage

When it comes to web programming and development, there are a number of specially designed scripts written a language specific to their underlying software packages.  Many client-side scripts such as web browsers are written in Java, which is one of the most widely used programming languages.  CGI, Perl and PHP are some of the most popular server-side technologies.  While CGI offers many features that can provide your site with automation, Perl and PHP are newer languages, and thus faster and higher demand by website owners and developers.  Some of the functionality these scripts offer include:

Shopping Carts - Some of the best e-commerce shopping carts are written in CGI.  This technology is capable of communicating with popular databases like MySQL and as well as MS SQL and Access, making it compatible with Linux, Unix, Windows and Mac OS X platforms.  Other languages used to create shopping cart programs include PHP, Python and ASP (Active Server Pages), a server-side programming framework created by Microsoft.

Form Managers – Many of the forms you view on a website are powered by CGI.  This includes those filled out by customers when they make a purchase.  In most cases, this is a very seamless process as all the customer does is enter their details into the form and click the “submit” button.  From there, CGI goes into action, sending the data to an email address or database where it can be accessed by the website owner.

Pass Protection – Some website owners require that users enter a user name and password before they access a particular area of their site.  This could be the criteria for several motives such as tracking new visitors for marketing purposes, allowing site members to participate in a community forum, or confirming that a customer has completed a purchase to access downloadable products.  The use of CGI scripts is one of the most common ways site owners setup registration that requires users to login with a user name and password.

What’s Your Language?

Scripting languages are abundant and you have several to choose from.  Aside from the scripts mentioned in this article, you can also get automated features with technologies such as Ruby on Rails, Cold Fusion, Server-Side Javascript and many others.  CGI scripts are among the easiest to use as they are pre-scripted and generally come installed and ready use on the hosting provider’s server.  While languages such as PHP and Perl are more difficult to use, they also offer more power and functionality.  Whatever language you choose, you are sure to enjoy a feature-rich website that gives you an edge over the competition.

Popular Options for Dynamic Web Pages

Today’s web hosting services give you a plethora of options in the feature department.  You typically get to choose the utility you want to build your site with, two to three options for webmail and your choice of the available shopping cart applications.  In a Windows package, you may also have the choice of utilizing a Microsoft database such as MS SQL or Access or open-source varieties such as MySQL or Postgre SQL.  Another aspect of web hosting that tends to offer a great deal of variety is scripting technologies.  With these programming languages installed on their server, a host provides a great deal of power by allowing you to create feature-rich, interactive websites.  Of course, there are numerous programming languages but here are some of the most popular options used to create dynamic websites.

ASP.NET

Now a main attraction of many Windows hosting solutions, ASP.NET is a server-side language that has characteristics of Microsoft’s classic Active Server Page technology and the .NET Framework.  This new version offers far more power than its predecessor, decreasing code density in a manner that makes web development faster and much easier.  ASP.NET shares many similarities to open-source languages such as PHP as its code can be implemented into HTML tags.  The major difference is that the technology was specifically designed to run on the IIS web server and Windows operating system.

CGI Scripts

CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripts are pre-installed tools based on the executable CGI files that are typically stored in the CGI-bin on your web host’s server.  They allow you to incorporate simple features such as clocks and hit counters onto the web page of your choosing.  With CGI, all you have to do is add a line of code into the HTML tag of your web page and a request of the desired action is executed when a web browser loads the page.  Many hosting packages come with a full library of CGI scripts that require absolutely no manual coding.  While easier to use than other dynamic technologies, CGI scripts are notorious for draining resources and causing pages to open slower.

Up and Coming Frameworks

PHP is perhaps the most widely used server-side language while ASP and ASP.NET are becoming dominant as enterprise-level solutions.  However, there are few scripting languages that are gaining ground quickly in both environments: Ruby on Rails, SMX and Lasso.  The Ruby on Rails framework is based on the Ruby programming language, serving a purpose to make to data-driven websites faster and more efficient.  Considered a macro-processing language, SMX is often overshadowed but has actually been around from the beginning.  This tool is quite similar to ASP and PHP, making it a perfect choice for creating HTML or XML web pages.  Lasso makes another great option for building a dynamic website.  This language produces clean code, works fast, and offers a flexibility that allows it to run on virtually any server be it Windows, Linux or Mac OS X.

Conclusion

When it comes to dynamic content, there is certainly no shortage of available tools.  The key is choosing a technology you feel comfortable working with.  You may also want to find one that can serve as a building block that enables you to scale up to more powerful languages in the future.

Web Development with Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails hit the scene in 2004 and has quickly become one of the most talked about frameworks in existence.  More developers are realizing that the Ruby language is a faster and more efficient way to create web-based applications.  So, what gives Ruby on Rails a variety of advantages over other development tools?  Many factors contribute to a plethora of advantages.  This article will explain why the Rails framework helps you work smarter, not harder at building your applications.

Ruby Features

In terms of features, Ruby on Rails doesn’t offer anything that hasn’t been done before.  Truthfully, it is very similar to other object-orientated programming languages such Perl and Python.  The major difference is how Rails does it, allowing you to complete simple applications in a matter of days instead of weeks and more complex applications in weeks instead of months.  Ruby on Rails facilitates good programming practices, resulting in clean code that is easier to manage.

Below are some of the essential ingredients that make the Rail framework so special.

The Language

Most of Rails’ power originates from the Ruby language itself.  The unique design of Ruby enables the easy creation of domain-specific languages, something the Rails framework takes full advantage of.

Less Code

Rails programming allows you to write fewer lines of code into your applications.  Keeping code smaller results in faster deployment of applications with fewer bugs.  With this framework, code tends to be easier to comprehend, manage and enhance.

Time-Effective

Rails utilizes metaprogramming and runtime reflection to eliminate a large portion of the boilerplate code you would otherwise need to create.  In most cases, you can avoid the little remaining code by allowing the built-in generator scripts to create it for you.  This frees up your time to focus on the code that is the most important to your applications.

Turnaround

When changes are made to a web application, the application typically has to go through a cycle before they are reflected.  Stages of this cycle generally include configuration, compilation, deployment, reset and finally testing.  The Rails development environment avoids this time consuming cycle, letting you make a change and instantly see the results.  Though it all might sound trivial, this dramatically improves productivity by allowing you to work without interruptions.

In general, you can place web application frameworks in two categories.  There are heavy-duty frameworks geared towards seasoned developers and more lightweight, user-friendly frameworks that cater to amateurs.  Ruby on Rails offers a little of both and is attracting developers from both sides of the spectrum.  Serious developers are fed up with the highly repetitive, less productive routine related to their existing frameworks while beginners are frustrated with unmanageable code that adds complexity to simple web applications.  Both groups are discovering that Ruby on Rails is a solution to their frusterating problems.

Web Hosting with PHP

Static web pages are easy to come by these days and simple to create.  In general, creating them doesn’t call for you to have any working knowledge of HTML, the most common web programming language of them all.  On the other hand, you may feel that your site requires a more dynamic construction that appeals to visitors with interactive features.  Programming languages are widely available but one of the most powerful of all is PHP.

What is PHP?

Short for Hypertext Preprocessor, PHP is an object orientated server-side scripting language used to build dynamic web pages and applications.  As an open-source language, PHP is actively supported by a large community of developers.  The mere open-source nature gives it numerous advantages over proprietary server-side scripting languages, mainly from a cost perspective.  Because there are no expensive licensing fees involved, PHP has now become the most popular server-side programming language in the world, offered by almost every web hosting provider on the market.

PHP in Action

A web host using PHP filters a document request at the server and then generates the output to a web browser in PHP.  Like other languages, these documents are typically written in the client-side HTML language with PHP tags inserted.  Despite being open-source, these tags are cross-platform, having the ability to run on both Windows and Linux platforms.  In regard to output, PHP can generate almost any format be it XHTML or XML.

The Advantages of PHP

PHP offers several benefits to developers.  It allows you to perform any CGI tasks including generating dynamic web applications and sending or receiving cookies.  You can also use PHP to output Flash videos, PDF files and instant graphics at lightning speed.  This is all made possible by the language’s ability save the necessary files in a built-in file system and run a server-side cache.  PHP delivers a number of advanced features that can be of great assistance to the seasoned developer.  The power of PHP isn’t limited to experienced users.  Beginners will be happy to know that this is one of the easiest server-side scripting languages to learn and code with.

A PHP-based solution generally comes included with a variety of programs scripted in the language, giving you applications that range from the WordPress blogging platform to the phpBB forum software.  You will also find that PHP is typically offered in more affordable web hosting solutions.  This is especially true when other open-source technologies are involved.  Some of the features you may find bundled together with PHP include Perl and Python programming languages as well as MySQL or Postgre SQL databases.  These technologies generally integrate seamlessly with one another and allow you to enjoy the best PHP has to offer.

PHP is one of the most efficient programming languages available, offering ease of use to the beginner and sophistication for the advanced user.  You can really get tremendous value from PHP when finding it in a web hosting package that offers the latest version on a reliable platform.