Tools Of The Trade

This article is part of the Joy Gems series which originally appeared in The Joy Gems Newsletter and/or The Home Page Helper Network on ryze.com, a business networking community.

Download this article as an Adobe Acrobat file.

Frequently, I'm asked what applications I use to create web content. Since I'm a pretty simple guy, I like to think I use pretty simple tools. The programs I use I've been using for a long time. I don't switch around and try new things. When you're using the Best Of The Breed, what's to change?

Yes, there are alternatives to all of these programs, but these babies are the best, and unless you can argue otherwise, I'm not switching to their competition.

Before you run out and buy these at bust out retail prices see if you can find alternative pricing, such as discounts offered to educators.

1. Dreamweaver

It's the gold standard because it generates the least odious and unnecessary code when stacked up to competitors such as GoLive and (dare I say in the same sentence?) Front Page. It features a reasonably good, clean interface even if it's not that intuitive.

As a Design WYSIWYG Editor it does some things very well but some things are not just clunky - they're horrible. In the good column? Inserting tables, making links, embedding images - to name a few. The bad side? Frames, Style Sheets, and the built in FTP client.

The power of the application is the option to work in Code and Design View at the same time. It's the only way to go.

2. Top Style

Mac users - you're out of luck on this one. Top Style is the best Cascading Style Sheet Editor I know of because it has taught me how to write CSS. I'm still waiting for my commissions to roll in because I've mentioned it in many classes and email, and have written about it in a previous Joy Gem.

If you're committed to creating web content the best way, and are using - or are new to - CSS, get this program today!! It's so good that many of its features are now built into Dreamweaver - but I still recommend getting this application as a stand alone.

3. Photoshop

Can there be anything better - or more addictive - than Photoshop? It's a graphics-producing application so widely known that I almost don't have to describe it. It's brain candy. True, I'm no graphic artist, and equally true, it takes a while to learn Photoshop, but there are levels of mastery that one can achieve over time. I'm becoming an intermediate skilled user.

The roots of this industry leader are quite far from web graphics. Photoshop came into existence as an application to edit photographic images - an image retouching tool.

WOW, has it ever evolved! Seems like no matter what your line of work, the knowledge of image creation and manipulation is as valuable and wide spread as word processing.

4. WS_FTP

What do you use to move your files from your computer to a web server for all the world to see? The process - called File Transfer Protocol - is efficiently performed by WS_FTP.

Ipswitch (Internet Protocol Switch - the name of the company and what the program uses to move your files) has several versions of its simple and glorious tool.

Mac users - this one is not for you, but you've got some very good choices. Try Transmit or Fetch.

5. Other Tools

But wait...there's more. I lean on these lesser lights depending on what I'm doing. All free.

• HTML Tidy
  Cleans up messy code. Very helpful in converting HTML to XHTML.

• Xenu
  Your site has hundreds, if not thousands - if not hundreds of thousands - of links. How are you going to check them? Click on each one? NOT! Let Xenu's Link Sleuth check your web site for broken links.

• Accessibility Toolbar
  Handy browser toolbar that tells you a lot about your pages and everyone else's.