Comments on: Complete UI 2007 for Dreamweaver

By: DSpike

DSpike — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:25:39 +0000

How about a contest where a simple project is created using both methods – Dreamweaver built – Hand Coded – . I would be interested in comparing the time to build, and the size of the completed code.

By: VelkyMX

VelkyMX — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 07:43:05 +0000

DW is one of the best IDEs especially for PHP. Not other IDE gives you code intellitype, with database calls, drag and drop and easy setup. It you want to hand code – good luck with that, seems you like getting paid to write BS all day long. Coders who use Notepad type programs are seriously ones that write the code that is unmaintainable. Can you say job security?

By: Scott Fegette

Scott Fegette — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:44:29 +0000

@DB – Yes, and very actively developed at that. If DW CS3 didn’t get that point across, I’m pretty sure the next release will.
@Nate- great comments and points, all- thanks! I’ll make sure the dev team hears every one.

-Scott, Adobe

By: DB

DB — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:48:53 +0000

Dreamweaver is still being developed? interesting.

By: Nate Cavanaugh

Nate Cavanaugh — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:13:28 +0000

Personally, I wish Adobe would further enhance it’s actual editor, which is pretty darn amazing. If there were some more features of a true IDE, I would be pleased as pie, but unfortunately, it is very much geared for the WYSIWYG side of things.

However, here is where I think DW really stands out as an editor:

1. Define a project as a site. It’s very simple to do, requires little to no ramp up time, doesn’t inject a project file into your working directory, and allows you to upload upon save to either an (S)FTP server, WebDav, or even somewhere on the local file system.
2.Searching across specific folders in your Project/Site and searching across the entire Project is not only super simple, it’s incredibly fast. It’s UI is also better than almost any other editor/IDE out there, including Eclipse, Aptana, etc.
3. It is fast. It blows the other editors like Eclipse/Aptana out of the water. It also seems snappier than things like Komodo. It is a hog compared to UltraEdit/EditPlus, and the like, however.
4.It’s autocomplete is wonderful. I wish it was easier to customize, but it covers the bases of the different possible HTML and CSS attributes really well.

Where I think it needs some drastic improvement is:
1. Plugins. The normal Dreamweaver plugins are a pain to develop, and most of the time, people are doing them for crappy “widgets”. I guess that’s the nature of the beast with something that’s both WYSIWYG and a code editor.
2. I wish you could customize the word character break symbols. For instance, when I double click a CSS selector with a dash, most the time, I want the entire selector. I’d prefer to be able to change what characters the word selection breaks on.
3. I wish it could support bundles, like TextMate/e does. They would be incredibly powerful.
4. Javascript editing and autocompletion could be DRASTICALLY improved. You can customize it, but again, you’re stuck modifying cryptic XML files in order to do it.

I almost wish they’d go back to having a Dreamweaver UltraDev that focused on the coding environment a lot more. I am really hooked on the program for it’s project/site capabilities, and it’s editor features, but there will come a time soon when another editor will take all that is good about Dreamweaver, and add real software development tools, and then I am gone.

So Adobe, please, hit the sweet spot for those of us who like your product, but need, in the immortal words of Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor, MORE POWER. :)

By: Jep Castelein

Jep Castelein — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:56:11 +0000

Congrats with this new release! It seems this product is aimed at ‘traditional’ HTML developers, who can use Ajax components without having to write complex JavaScript, so not the typical Ajaxian reader. I’m going to try it out myself to see if it’s really that simple to use :-)

By: ajaxus

ajaxus — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:00:40 +0000

“What do you think of Dreamweaver now?” – same as before – Good product to learn and practice HTML and thats it!

By: Trulli

Trulli — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:44:49 +0000

I want to handcode, maybe I’m getting to old for this. Extensions keep dumb people dumb.

By: James MacFarlane

James MacFarlane — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:07:16 +0000

Are “dreamweaver professionals” similar to “flash professionals”?

By: mefisto

mefisto — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:29:27 +0000

Its not the editor which is hated , it’s wannabies who use it and call themselfs ‘webmasters’. They damadge industry’s reputation, and their code is unusable =/

By: .

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:00:59 +0000

hmm… ok but not like wow!

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:57:58 +0000

I know its the hip thing to be anti-dreamweaver, but give it a chance.

By: Liming

Liming — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:53:14 +0000

It’s nice but to be honest, I will be much more excited if dreamweaver has plugin for Ext-JS. If anybody knows about such plug-ins, please do let me know!