 |
||
|
||
Author: Robert L. Vaessen e-mail: |
||
|
Dreamweaver CS5: Learning HTML, and creating rich and appealing web sites, can be a difficult endeavor. In February of 2011, I updated my web design work horse. I upgraded from Dreamweaver CS4 to Adobe's latest version of Dreamweaver (as of Feb, 2011). While I find Dreamweaver CS5 to be less of an upgrade than my switch from MX 2004 to CS4, it is a great tool. I've been using Dreamweaver (various different versions) for at least seven years now, and I find it to be the best tool for my needs. I really like the ability to view and work in a WYSIWYG interface, while simultaneously having the code view available for any tweaking or hands-on coding. With my awesome 30" monitor, I can even display both views in a vertical orientation. Aside from the more powerful features (which I'm not knowledgeable enough to use), CS5 introduces some new features that might be useful to a more novice coder such as myself. Those new features include: 'Browser Lab' preview capabilities using side-by-side or 'onion-skin' overlay comparisons of browser rendering. It includes widget plugin capabilities (with HTML5 support). There's a bunch of simple site setup templates and CSS starter pages to jump start your efforts to create new web sites. I've been using Dreamweaver for some time now, and really appreciate some of it's more powerful features. It's a world class champ when it comes to editing HTML tables. With a tool box full of things I've yet to use, I'm sure I'll be learning more about HTML and CSS in the future. FYI: If you're developing, editing, authoring websites/html on a Mac, you should know that Dreamweaver CS5 (and 5.5) does not install or run on a volume formated with case-sensitivity. That's Crap! Unix filesystems (Mac OS X is based on Unix) have been using case sensitive file management since day one (more than 20 years now). Case sensitive volume formatting has been standard on Macs since Leopard came out, and case sensitivity on modern operating systems (including Windows) is an essential part of cross platform interoperability. The only application (that I know of) that won't work on my case-sensitive volume? Dreamweaver CS5. Dreamweaver's original design (dating back to the late 90s/originally written (for Mac OS) by Macromedia) didn't include case sensitivity in it's library components, and that legacy decision has been carried forward into the latest versions of their software. Macs didn't use case-sensitivity back when Macromedia released the 1.0 version of the software. They didn't implement case sensitivity at that time, and their product was ported to Windows a year after releasing the Mac versiohn. In order to maintain an unchanged code base and compatability with the Windows operating systems, Macromedia chose not to implement case sensitivity. As a result, to this day Dreamweaver code execution fails to execute/launch on a case sensitive volume. Why does it fail? When application resources look for files with a different case name than the case of the actual file (or the path to its location) the application crashes or fails to launch with error messages. For example, if an application is looking for a resource with a file path of: /frameworks/Xerces.framework/Versions/A/Xerces and the resource is actually located at: /frameworks/Xerces.framework/versions/a/xerces then the application will fail to launch or function. This is an easily correctable programing problem. Someone needs to re-code the calls for dynamic libraries and resources. The developers/programmers don't need to do very much in order to make the software work on a case sensitive volume, all they need to do is correct the resource calls so that they have the proper case. It is possible to manually fix the problem by renaming all the affected resources. I could manually create case appropriate symbolic links to all the affected resources, but that's not my job! It's Adobe's! As a result of this issue (which is ENTIRELY adobe's fault and responsibility to fix), I must caution every Mac user who's considering a purchase of Dreamweaver CS5. This application is NOT compatible with standard Lion installations (or any volume that uses case sensitivity). There are many reasons to format your drive as a case-sensitive volume, and Adobe's refusal to update their code libraries in order to correct case-sensitivity errors is just another sign of a company that's failing their customer base.
|
|
|
iWeb '09: iWeb is Apple's application for HTML authoring/editing. It's powerful, easy to use and well polished. I've been using it more and more in order to create web pages for specific purposes. I don't use it exclusively, but I am starting to use it more and more. As a matter of fact, I'm using it exclusively on two particular web sites that I manage. The best parts of iWeb are it's integration with other Apple applications, the WYSIWYG interface, and the highly professional appearance of the web page outputs. The drawbacks are lack of control in web page export/output, controlling placement of some code/items can be very difficult, and there's no way to view or edit the HTML code from within the application. This latest update (version 3.0.4 (601)) improves overall stability and addresses a number of minor issues. |
|
|
BBEdit: This gem was missing from my 'Favs' page for some time. I removed it back in May of 2007. I had decided that Dreamweaver met all my needs. Things have changed. Due to problems with Adobe products (in general), I've decided it's time to bring BBEdit back into the fold. I purchased a new version of BBEdit in October of 2011 (through the Mac 'App Store'). At a discounted introductory price of ~$40; one thing has changed - They've lowered the price to a more manageable target. The full version (through the App Store/and their online store) is only ~$50.00. That's a lot better than their historical pricing of more than $100.00 for the full version. Other notable changes (made to comply with App Store requirements). Command line capability is not included in the version purchased through the App Store. You can download and add that capability outside the App Store. Additionally, the ability to save changes to files that you don't own has been removed from the App Store version. Advanced users can also work around this limitation. In my opinion, the minor changes are well worth the more than 100 new features coupled with the amazing drop in price! |
|
|
iWork '09: iWork is Apple's productivity suite. Previous versions of iWork (2005-2006) contained two applications, a bit anemic for a productivity suite. It was missing a crucial component. No spreadsheet application? In 2007, things changed. They added a spreadsheet application. Numbers is the newest addition to the productivity suite. With the addition of this new component. iWork became a feasible replacement for the venerable (and still useful) AppleWorks - which hasn't (and never will - according to Apple) seen an update since 2004. iWork is also a home contender, competing against Microsoft Office. Most home users don't need the power provided by Microsoft's productivity suite. iWork applications are Office compatible (No it's not 100% compatible, but it can open, edit and save documents as Office documents), and the pricing is far more affordable than the behemoth on the block. So, the addition of numbers, the fantastic price ($60.00 ($19.99 each at the App Store) for three full feature productivity apps), the great reviews (that I've read), the compatibility (Office and AppleWorks) and the outstanding support that Apple provides, have enticed me to switch from AppleWorks to iWork. All of the iWork components contain web based output options, which is crucial for anyone creating web pages, or managing a web site.
The recent iOS update (iOS 5.0) brings the following updates to devices running iOS 5.0 (in my case that's my iPad and my iPhone 3GS): Automatically store documents in iCloud (actually iCloud acts as a push and sync process; not a storage service) and keep them up to date across all your iOS devices. Download your documents (in iWork '09 (Numbers and Pages for me), Microsoft (Word and Excel for me), CSV or PDF formats) to a Mac or PC at icloud.com/iwork. Drag and drop iWork '09 (Numbers and Pages for me), Microsoft (Word and Excel for me), plain text or CSV documents to icloud.com in order to automatically create iWork documents and sync them (through the iCloud service) to all you iOS devices. In Numbers you can use sliders, steppers and pop-ups to easily enter data and explore results, use Merge Cells command to format your tables. Improved import and export for spreadsheets with hidden rows and columns. In Pages, you can use your voice to create and edit documents using Siri dictation on an iPhone 4S. In Pages you can create footnotes and endnotes as well as make use of improved word counts. All the apps also received some security updates for maliciously crafted Word and Excel documents. Shortly after the iOS 5.0 updates, Apple released a Keynote update (to version 5.1.1) in order to address issues with large Keynote presentations under OS X Lion. It also includes improvements in stability and accessibility for Keynote. |
|
|
GraphicConverter One of my favorite pieces of software recently released an update. GraphicConverter moves ever forward. One more step towards perfection. Another product that's always getting better. With the move to Lion compatibility, Thorsten (the developer) will discontinue the separate Native PowerPC version of GC. The old/PowerPC versions will still continue to work on Mac OS systems from 10.3 - 10.6, but moving forward, you'll have to use the Intel only applications. My favorite image manipulator. Constantly releases new updates that add new features, tweaks existing ones, and squashes those ever present bugs. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~ $40). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats, to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure what I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's creator. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost, this photo editor puts a huge wrench in your toolbox. |
|
|
DVDPedia: DVDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your movie collection. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the movie or you can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the movie box (it then searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a 'borrowed' feature with address book integration, the ability to play movies in full screen mode, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use DVDpedia to generate HTML listings of my movies and movie reviews. The 5.0 upgrade was a paid upgrade/new version of the software (The new version only runs on Intel architecture machines and it requires Leopard or better as an OS). This version has been over a year in the making with lots of changes big and small to make the programs even better. What's new? Lots of new search sites including Wikipedia, Freebase and Doghouse, the Pedias' own media server built by and for Pedia users. New custom fields for broader cataloging options: TV series for DVDpedia, comics for Bookpedia and boardgames for Gamepedia (I may have to buy a copy now) as well as new custom fields including dedicated date fields, check boxes and multi-value fields. A 10-star rating system with half-stars; click twice on a star to make it a half. Swipe gestures for the CoverFlow and Add/Edit window to move back and forth as well as pinch-to-zoom in the Grid view. A new filter feature for the Details view and Statistics to quickly find entries with that same value. And much, much more… Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software. |
|
|
CDPedia: CDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your music collection. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the artist, album, or track. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off a jewel case (it then searches the internet, and displays choices), or you can import lists of music from iTunes. It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a 'borrowed' feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use CDPedia to generate HTML listings of my music. The 5.0 upgrade was a paid upgrade/new version of the software (The new version only runs on Intel architecture machines and it requires Leopard or better as an OS). This version has been over a year in the making with lots of changes big and small to make the programs even better. What's new? Lots of new search sites including Wikipedia, Freebase and Doghouse, the Pedias' own media server built by and for Pedia users. New custom fields for broader cataloging options: TV series for DVDpedia, comics for Bookpedia and boardgames for Gamepedia (I may have to buy a copy now) as well as new custom fields including dedicated date fields, check boxes and multi-value fields. A 10-star rating system with half-stars; click twice on a star to make it a half. Swipe gestures for the CoverFlow and Add/Edit window to move back and forth as well as pinch-to-zoom in the Grid view. A new filter feature for the Details view and Statistics to quickly find entries with that same value. And much, much more… Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software. |
|
|
Bookpedia: Bookpedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your book collection(s). It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the author, book, or isbn number. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the book cover (the application searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a 'borrowed' feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use Bookpedia to generate an HTML listing of my favorite books. The 5.0 upgrade was a paid upgrade/new version of the software (The new version only runs on Intel architecture machines and it requires Leopard or better as an OS). This version has been over a year in the making with lots of changes big and small to make the programs even better. What's new? Lots of new search sites including Wikipedia, Freebase and Doghouse, the Pedias' own media server built by and for Pedia users. New custom fields for broader cataloging options: TV series for DVDpedia, comics for Bookpedia and boardgames for Gamepedia (I may have to buy a copy now) as well as new custom fields including dedicated date fields, check boxes and multi-value fields. A 10-star rating system with half-stars; click twice on a star to make it a half. Swipe gestures for the CoverFlow and Add/Edit window to move back and forth as well as pinch-to-zoom in the Grid view. A new filter feature for the Details view and Statistics to quickly find entries with that same value. And much, much more… Below are links to some of the pages I created using this software. |
|
|
The Logo Creator: The Logo Creator is exactly what it says it is. Software for creating eye catching graphic logos. I use the software to create banner graphics/titles for my web pages. The interface isn't the greatest, but the included logo elements are great and there are several pre-built templates to chose from (you can purchase additional add-on logo packs). Use a pre-built template or start from scratch. Aside from pre-set graphics, you can apply and manipulate a vast array of effects on all the elements of the logo. This software will allow you to create great looking title graphics for print or the web. Here are links to some of the pages containing title graphics/some of the titles I've created using this software: mymusiccollection.png, myreviews.png, southlands.png, photopainting.png Note: As of 9 Sep, 2011, I no longer use this application. The developer has not updated it to OS 10.7 compatability. As this application is based on some PPC architecture it will not run under Lion. I can no longer recommend this application. I've already purchased a replacement, but haven't had a chance to evaluate it fully. |
|
|
The GIMP: GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Written and developed under X11 for the Unix platform, I'm running a version ported to Mac OS X (runs under X11). This software application is the equivalent of PhotoShop for free! There's very little you can't do with this full feature graphic authoring software suite. It's got all the bells and whistles: Full suite of painting tools, Sub-pixel sampling, Gradient editor and blend tool, Custom brushes and patterns, Full alpha channel support, Layers and channels, Multiple Undo/Redo, Editable text layers, Transformation tools, Selection tools, Advanced path tool, Transformable paths and selections, Advanced scripting capabilities, Support for Photo-Shop plugins, and several more features. I've been using the GIMP for some years now, and I'm continually impressed by it's rich features and powerful rendering capabilities. Here are just a few of the graphics and titles I've created using the GIMP: Slice of a pseudo oil painting, adventuringgroup.png, dndbooks.png, vifsi.png If you'd like to try out some of the GIMP's text effects, you can check out this web page that will let you create enhanced graphics using some of the GIMP's capabilities. |
|
|
Transmit: I have a registered copy of version 4.1.7 An FTP tool that does it all. Anyone who publishes web pages eventually needs a way to upload their pages to a web site. I've found that stand alone FTP tools are the best for this task. Transmit has a clean and easy to use interface, and some really nifty features, like the ability to resume a transfer that's been interrupted, advanced site synchronization capabilities (with simulation mode and reporting capabilities), iDisk and Amazon S3 integration, drag-to-dock sending, creation / use of transfer droplets, column views, quick navigation side-bar, multi-connection transfers, built in compression, a built in text editor, remote file editing using local editors, and secure transfer (in various different flavors) capabilities. Check out the Panic.com Release Notes for Transmit. Version 4.1.6 adds additional Lion (OS 10.7) compatability and general bug fixes. |
|
|
Safari: Apple's default web browser for OS X (also available for Windows!), is way ahead of the pack. Apple's browser contains a plethora of incredibly powerful features (over 150 features), and this release moves the browser forward for everyone (there's even a Windows version! - Microsoft stops developing IE for Mac, and Apple makes a Windows version of Safari?). Some of the newest features include: The Reading List - A way to store URLs for late, Multi-Touch Gestures (under Lion) - more ways to navigate within Safari; Full-Screen Browsing (under Lion) - With a 30" monitor, I don't really need this; New privacy and security features; Resume - Opens windows and tabs right where you left off; Downloads popover (under Lion); Find option (updated); Better graphics (Under Lion - using HTML5 canvas capabilities); Internet account setups; New processing architecture - to keep your computer from slowing down when the browser starts choking on some pesky video or other heavy duty processing. Safari 5.1.1 includes support for iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services. iCloud stores your Safari bookmarks and Safari Reading List and automatically pushes them to all your devices. Safari 5.1.2 fixes some excessive memory usage issues. By the way, Safari is fully compliant (it was the first Browser to meet that bench mark) with the advanced Acid 3.0 test. So, if you're concerned about standards and compliance, you've nothing to worry about. Develop your web site using the Safari webkit and you won't have to worry about rendering problems or sticky browser compatibility issues. Check out the website for more info. Safari is just one more reason to Switch! It's won a place as my default browser, give it a chance and it'll soon be yours. Check out the website for more info. Safari is just one more reason to Switch! It's won a place as my default browser, give it a chance and it'll soon be yours. |
|
|
X11/XQuartz: What's the difference between X11 and XQuartz? - They're both 'X' (as in uniX) Window Systems. Computer software and network protocol that provides a graphical user interface for a networked computer running a flavor of the unix operating system. X11 was originally developed by MIT. It appeared in Sep of 1987, and it's maintained and distributed by the X.Org foundation, the free and open software is distributed (under license) by Apple with it' Mac OS X operating system. XQuartz is also an 'X' windowing system. Developed and maintained by Apple; XQuartz is designed specifically for the Mac OS X operating system. It's a more refined version of an 'X' windowing system than the X11 version shipped/distributed by Apple during major software updates. XQuartz is developed as an open-source project, and it's updated more frequently than the X11 version shipped/distributed with official Apple software updates. So, in brief X11 is the official build distributed with major software updates/upgrades, and XQuartz is an open-source, more refined version, distributed outside standard update channels. While X11 and XQuartz form the basis of running Unix applications on your Mac, getting Unix apps up and running on your Mac isn't always as easy as downloading and double clicking. (see note above), but the following links should help you get started. |
|
|
||
Author: Robert L. Vaessen e-mail:
|
||
