Authoring software recommendations for beginner

[JW]

A friend wants to put together a web site for a candy store. Not too
sophisticated and no ecommerce functions. Just attractive and easy to maintain.
Everthing I've authored is either handcoded and/or based on template-type stuff
like oscommerce. The only integrated web authoring tools I've used are
Frontpage and NetObjects. I would never recommend the former product. The latter
seems to produce reasonably clean code, and a fairly current version is
available for free if one signs up for 1&1 hosting.

Any other suggestions for a low (or no) cost product for use by a total html
newbie? She has neither the time nor inclination to learn how to hand code a web
site. However if I had my druthers, I would like the resultant code to be easily
maintainable outside of the original authoring environment (i.e., with a plain
vanilla text editor.)

Thanks for your suggestions.

jw
--
[e-mail]

[Neal]

JW <jd**@nospamforme.com> wrote:

She has neither the time nor inclination to learn how to hand code a
web
site.

This is the sentence I need to focus on.

If I buy a good set of tools, but lack the time or inclination to
learn how a car engine and transmission work, what hope do I have to
repair my car?

If I buy a good set of legal reference books, but lack the time or
inclination to learn about how law is practiced, should I defend
myself in court?

If I buy a good table saw, lathe and top-shelf lumber, but lack the
time and inclination to learn basic carpentry techniques, what chance
do I have to produce a decent cabinet?

No matter what tool someone recommends, it will not make a good web
page unless the user knows how. It requires time, and it requires
inclination.

Your friend's best bet is to hire a professional to do the job.

[Stephen Poley]

On Sun, 09 Jan 2005 02:21:34 GMT, JW <jd**@nospamforme.com> wrote:

A friend wants to put together a web site for a candy store. Not too
sophisticated and no ecommerce functions. Just attractive and easy to maintain.
Everthing I've authored is either handcoded and/or based on template-type stuff
like oscommerce. The only integrated web authoring tools I've used are
Frontpage and NetObjects. I would never recommend the former product. The latter
seems to produce reasonably clean code, and a fairly current version is
available for free if one signs up for 1&1 hosting.

Any other suggestions for a low (or no) cost product for use by a total html
newbie? She has neither the time nor inclination to learn how to hand code a web
site.

Throwing something together quickly with a "web authoring tool" is OK if
you're just putting pages online for a few friends and relatives to look
at. They'll let you know if the result is difficult to read. Anything
more important than that requires you to understand what you're doing.
(And the Web is littered with sites from people who didn't know what
they were doing.)

I'd suggest you make an HTML template and a CSS file for your friend,
and then show her how to insert text, images and links in the HTML with
a text editor. That should give her an easier learning curve than an
authoring tool, and give a better result as well.

--
Stephen Poley

http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/webmatters/

[junk]

JW wrote:

A friend wants to put together a web site for a candy store. (snip) Any other suggestions for a low (or no) cost product for use by a total html
newbie?

I've used front page 2000 and html_kit (http://www.chami.com/html-kit)
both are free. don't know about the newbie bit though. Your friend
sounds like a candidate for Dreamweaver, :0 definitely not free

[Andy Levy]

On 1/9/2005 6:13 AM, junk wrote:

JW wrote:

A friend wants to put together a web site for a candy store.

(snip)

Any other suggestions for a low (or no) cost product for use by a
total html
newbie?

I've used front page 2000 and html_kit (http://www.chami.com/html-kit)
both are free. don't know about the newbie bit though. Your friend
sounds like a candidate for Dreamweaver, :0 definitely not free

MS FrontPage 2000 is anything but "free".

--
-andy

http://home.rochester.rr.com/alevy/ --- an*******@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------
"Whatever Adam does, do the opposite and you'll be fine"
-Bob Tom
--------------------------------------------

[junk]

Andy Levy wrote:

On 1/9/2005 6:13 AM, junk wrote:

JW wrote:

A friend wants to put together a web site for a candy store.

I've used front page 2000 and html_kit (http://www.chami.com/html-kit)
both are free. don't know about the newbie bit though. Your friend
sounds like a candidate for Dreamweaver, :0 definitely not free

MS FrontPage 2000 is anything but "free".

Opps!! Sorry that should have been "1st page" from eversoft, which is free

[Ben Long]

Have your friend hire me!

I'll help =)

[KHaled]

JW <jd**@nospamforme.com> wrote in
news:sm********************************@4ax.com:

A friend wants to put together a web site for a candy
store. Not too sophisticated and no ecommerce functions.
Just attractive and easy to maintain. Everthing I've
authored is either handcoded and/or based on template-type
stuff like oscommerce. The only integrated web authoring
tools I've used are Frontpage and NetObjects. I would never
recommend the former product. The latter seems to produce
reasonably clean code, and a fairly current version is
available for free if one signs up for 1&1 hosting.

Any other suggestions for a low (or no) cost product for
use by a total html newbie? She has neither the time nor
inclination to learn how to hand code a web site. However
if I had my druthers, I would like the resultant code to be
easily maintainable outside of the original authoring
environment (i.e., with a plain vanilla text editor.)

Thanks for your suggestions.

jw

if you need a reasobable generator then I'd recommend
SiteGenWizard at http://www.enersoft.ch

There is a freeware version for you to test, which may do for
a basic site.

If you want a WYSIWYG editor then Nvu at http://www.nvu.com
is probably your best bet. It has the same look and feel as
the composer component of Mozilla.

Naturally I will also go along with the rest of the
"authors" and suggest that your friend hires a bi-ped wizard
to do the job.. many of these hang out in this group and
others like it..

I will also suggest that your friend visits
http://www.useit.com/ to get an idea about design issues. In
my mind a lot of time can be saved if a site is well designed
before she starts to implement.

Good luck, and let her post her site to alt.html.critique
for some feedback.

--
KHaled

e-mail: khaledihREMOVEUPPERCASELETTERS at fusemail dot net
(correcting antispam crap..)
please start your subject line with the string "==NG=="