HTML Editor Reviews

AOLpress

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AOLpress 1.2

Found at: http://www.primehost.com/members/create/index.htm

Overview:

MS-Windows (1.2.2), Unix, Mac (1.2.2), NT/95 (1.2.3)
Stand alone program
WYSIWYG -- "Browser" view used for editing
HTML checking -- during editing and importing
Somewhat stable.
Cost: Free
Screen Shot
User Comments

Nice features found in this package include:

"Browser" View for Editing and Integrated Browser: This package is in essance a browser which allows you to edit pages as you view them (though you need to user Primehosts server or one which support PUT http protocol). This approach is very easy to use and will help new authors to create simple documents very quickly. It is also convenient when many related pages must be updated. Overall, this approach works very well for those new to HTML, but will be confining to experienced authors. For those who want to "tweak" the HTML codes, the HTML codes can be shown and modified in a text window.
Graphical Forms Editing In Document: The package includes the ability to graphically edit forms directly on the page. This helps with visually lining up and formatting forms.
"MiniWebs" for organizing document structure: Miniwebs is term used for the packages ability to track links between a set of documents. This tool is useful for maintaining related pages and will update links as names are changed. A graphical representation of the "web" is useful for understanding the overall structure of your sites.
Extremely Nice Table Support: Due to the "browser" nature of the editor, tables are displayed as they may be seen by the a browser.  The contents of the cells can be modified, which is great for those who use tables whose contents may change.The editor can handle the useful also add COLUMNSPAN and ROWSPAN tags (see comparison table for example). This editor makes table creation wonderful.
Support for Netscape and HTML 3.2: There is support for Netscape and HTML 3.2 included in the package. Tables are one example. Also, the package includes an interesting twist on inserting applets. If the program has access to the Java source or a special parameter file, it will bring up custom dialogs for the necessary parameters with user defined defaults.

Missing/Poorly Implemented Features:

Crash prone when not online: I found the package regularly crashed when you attempted a function which required finding a file on the network when not online. For example, performing a link check when not connect will hang the machine if any of the links are not relative URL's.
Much of the Help is online: This may allow for quick updates, but can make using the package frustrating when not on-line (for dial-up users).
User Compaint: A reader has complained that the dialogs sometimes appear incorrectly, limiting their ability to select OK or Cancel buttons. I did not run into this problem with the Win 95 version, but keep your on on it. However, I did experience this with older versions of Navipress (former name) which seemed resolved in later versions.

Conclusion:

AOLpress is a very easy to use HTML creation tool, which will help new authors quickly develop basic pages. The implementation of tables is very well done and useful for all skill levels. This is a great package for beginners who want to hide from HTML tags, and experienced authors who want to quickly create tables or only need to occasionally get their hands dirty. Although not gaining as much press as Navigator Gold or Frontpage, it competes well with them, and the price is right.

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