Mac

Windows

15-day trial

A top Web site solution, the latest version of NOF shows lots of improvements over previous releases. Now you can view and edit code, embed Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), import Word documents and preview your work within the program itself. Generally the user interface hasn't changed much, you still get to jump around the various views, from site structure, page editor, stylesheet selector, file listings and publish settings. A key feature is the precise control it gives you over page layout, such as you might expect to find in DTP programs. The various enhancements make it the program of choice for small to medium business users who want to get a stylish e-commerce site up and running quickly.

Web link: www.netobjects.com

Trial version

Hot Wax Pro will let you have fun with JavaScript without the need for in-depth technical knowledge. It creates numerous JavaScripts for you and will let you input the variable values so you get the desired effect. The interface is straight forward and Hot Wax Pro makes use of syntax highlighting. The trial version has a limitation on the number of scripts but on registration all scripts are unlocked.

Web link: www.y3k-software.com

20-day trial version

Namo's WebEditor is a great starter kit for novice Web site builders wishing to use just about everything from basic HTML to fabulous DHTML effects. It is appealingly easy to build a site, whether it's the family photo album or a fully compliant e-commerce business online.

Wizards are available to guide you through the technical aspects, which means you don't need to understand code or programming. There is a comprehensive site management suite, including site maps, search and replace, link validation, etc.

Web link: www.namo.com

Shareware version

A visual programming tool developed for creating advanced Java Applets and illustrations without knowing a single line of the Java language. You develop Java applets and illustrations by visually making connections between different pre-programmed objects. Each of the objects can send or receive messages through its out- or inports. By visually connecting these outports with the inports, you can construct complex programs without any programming skills.

This shareware version of WireFusion is fully functional but has a popup 'nag' window telling the visitor to your Web page that the applet was created with the unregistered version of WireFusion.

You will find various example and project files in the wirefusion folder on the CD. Note: WireFusion likes plenty of RAM, say 128Mb?

Web link: www.demicron.com

Actinic Catalog is everything you need to start selling via the Internet. With Actinic Catalog you can create and maintain a catalog on your Web site, take online encrypted orders and process those orders back on your PC.

Web link: www.actinic.co.uk

30-day evaluation

Black Swan is a quick, small, yet powerful HTML editor able to design sophisticated Web pages, HTML help files or any documents written in HTML. Black Swan provides a set of visual development tools and professionally designed templates allowing you quickly to design Web pages.

See the readme.txt file for more information including installation notes...

Web link: www.zeta.org.au/~swan

This is a fully-featured HTML and script authoring tool that includes just about all the functions you would like to have in an HTML editor. 1st Page 2000's numerous features include: tag highlighting; automatic image sizing; HTML tag stripping; document compressing; source formatting; JavaScript rollover effects, object tree, and wizard; spell checking; thesaurus; TidyHTML; XML converter; FTP client; and support for up to four external browsers.

If that's not enough, you also get: project management; a customisable toolbar and keyboard shortcuts; Flash/Shockwave support; DHTML layering; ASP, SSI, CFML, and WebTV tags; a table sizer; bookmark support; an integrated file explorer; and much more, including a library of Java, DHTML and Perl scripts.

You can launch the program in four modes: Easy, Expert, Hardcore and Normal.

Web link: www.evrsoft.com

Pretty HTML will clean up all that messy HTML code found in so many Web pages, making it easier to read and edit. It indents, comments, structures your HTML code according to the rules you specify and can compress the size of HTML files by removing extra spaces, tabs, line breaks and comments. It works in batch mode as well as in single file mode. You could also let it it serve as your HTML editor.

Web link: http://mpp.at

WinToWeb automatically generates menus. You define the menu's items and actions whithin an intuitive standard Windows interface. When the 'Generate' option is clicked, the program immediately writes the corresponding code and loads the resulting menu in the default Web browser. There are countless ways to customise your menu through the 'Preferences' options.

This version is for personal, non-commercial use only and limited to 15 menu items.

Web link: www.codexcel.com/sw/wintoweb

XMLwriter
v1.1 for IE5+
(W9+/NT)

XMLwriter is a powerful XML editor, designed to help Web authors and Web application programmers take advantage of the latest XML and XML-related technologies such as XSL and XQL. XMLwriter has some useful functions such as code validation, XML to HTML conversion, a project manager, a complete reference guide to the W3C XML 1.0 specification, and context sensitive help. The interface is straightforward but for the novice the XML language might be taxing.

Web link: http://XMLwriter.net

Recently updated

SmartSite is a shareware HTML editor and validator. However, it is not an editor which hides the HTML from you, then produces bloated HTML by itself. You work with the HTML, it just has loads of features to help you that Notepad doesn't.

Features syntax colouring; context help on HTML tags; and can help format the text and insert tables, pictures and links. You can validate the current document, or all the files in a directory, for things such as invalid tags, incorrect tag nesting and browser-specific tags. In evaluation mode you are unable to save files, view them in a browser, or validate all files in a directory.

HTML Compare is a great way to find changes in different versions of HTML pages and Web sites. Similar to a DIFF utility for programmers, or a revision tracking tool for word processing.

Note: in this demo version, you can compare up to five files when comparing directories. The largest file size you can compare is 10KB.

Mac OS

NOTE: The Mac programs are mostly in archived 'HQX' (BinHex) files – they can be extracted with several applications, including Stuffit Expander (which is on the CD...). Clicking on the links below should set the process in motion. You may receive a message that the file cannot be loaded into Simple Text — if so, start Stuffit and then open the HQX file you want from within Stuffit.

This program saves often more than 10% of space on your web pages by removing unnecessary characters and tags. Though this may seem a small improvement, load time savings is much higher as your client's browser parses the pages more efficiently. Removes forbidden tags and offers the possibility to view an optimized page directly in your browser. HTML Optimizer can also handle pages with script blocks for JavaScript or other code, without introducing script errors. Version 3 optimizes up to 10 times faster

HTML Optimizer requires HyperCard Player 2.3 or later to run.

Web link: www.spidernet.nl/~ton_brand

Recently updated

Page Spinner is a full-featured text editor. This is a great way to learn HTML. Page Spinner supports HTML 4.0, previews in multiple browsers and is optimised for PowerPC.

New features include: an Assistant for creating JavaScript rollover images and windows without writing code; improved AppleScript support.

Web link: www.optima-system.com/pagespinner

Shareware

Cool Search & Replace is a powerful search and replace program for HTML files. It has the potential to save you hours of time by searching through multiple folders and thousands of files, changing up to ten different text strings at once. Cool Search & Replace is useful for fixing broken URLs, changing outdated phone numbers, updating contact information, and so on. The author warns that this is a powerful application, potentially changing thousands of documents at the press of a button – handle with care.

Web link: www.flash.net/~timbobo

Freeware

Would you like a simple way to fix your HTML mistakes automatically and tidy up sloppy editing into nicely laid-out markup? Dave Raggett's MacTidy is a free utility for doing just that. It also works great on the atrocious markup generated by specialised HTML editors and conversion tools.

Web link: www.w3.org/People/Raggett/tidy/

Big Brother allows you to keep an eye on your World Wide Web links. This program is essential if you wish to make sure that the links contained in your pages are up-to-date, a chore which quickly gets out of hand without an automated tool. It is also invaluable for maintaining a large list of bookmarks.

Web link: http://pauillac.inria.fr/~fpottier/ mac-soft.html.en