Web Layout Applications

Web layout applications let you create Web pages in much the same way as page layout applications
such as PageMaker and QuarkXPress let you lay out and print a paper document. Although dozens of
Web layout applications are on the market, the three most popular programs for creating Web pages
are Adobe’s GoLive, Macromedia’s Dreamweaver, and Microsoft’s FrontPage.
When you use a Web layout program such as GoLive, you open a new document, and begin
typing text and dragging graphics onto the blank layout window. As you add text and graphics to
the Web page, the program generates the HTML code for you. The advantage of using a Web layout
program is that you see how the page will look in a Web browser as you create the page. Figure 1-7
shows a Web page under construction in GoLive.
The disadvantage in using Web layout programs is that they do the entire HTML coding for you.
Although that may seem like a good thing, you never get a chance to learn any HTML, and therefore you
may never advance beyond what the layout program is capable of doing. Suppose, for example, you want
to add a specific feature to your Web page and the layout program does not have a button to make it
happen. That means you are stuck because you do not know how to code the feature yourself. In addition,
Web layout programs are not perfect. Sometimes they generate additional HTML code that is not
necessary to your Web page. If you do not know HTML, you cannot make a decision as to what
you need and what you should remove.
If you are new to Web design, it is a good idea to start by using a simple text editor or word processor.
After you understand HTML, move on to a Web layout program such as Dreamweaver or GoLive.
If you understand HTML, using a Web layout program gives you the best of both worlds. The Web
layout program generates all the HTML code quickly and on the fly, while at any time letting you

stop and modify the code to fit your specific needs.