Web Design Software?

[marcbarak]

Dreamweaver would be the most common but true clean productive coding is done purely by text editors

[michaela]

Dreamweaver and fireworks are the best period.
And Adobe flash for your flash needs.

[joke]

that is a big question:

Designing webpages, pitches, proposals - Photoshop
Vectors - Illustrator
HTML / CSS - Notepad++
PHP - PHPDesigner
Flash - Flash
checking links - link checker pro
validation - W3 Schools
testing usability - (several products)

no offense to people using Dreamweaver, if it works for you don't be offended by what other people say, but I had several job applications where it was a strong demand that you didn't use Dreamweaver (or at least that you did not depend on any WYSIWYG editor). it is a real advantage to be able to program yourself.
you can also use DW for programming (ignoring the wysiwyg features) - so I guess not everyone who is using it is also depending on it.

If you are new to making websites, these editors will certainly be awesome, because you have an instant visual representation of what you are making - which speeds up the learning process.

[webhost.uk.net]

I prefer Dreamweaver ..its easy to work with.

[worldnet]

Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 is the best web site development software/tool available today. If you are a professional web designer looking for a rapid application tool to design web sites, this is your best bet. We've been using Adobe for a long time and highly recommend it to everyone who is interested in learning website development. This tool generates HTML code for you, (so you don't have to be an expert HTML programmer to develop a website).

[htmlbasictutor]

Originally Posted by worldnet

...This tool generates HTML code for you, (so you don't have to be an expert HTML programmer to develop a website).

I disagree. No matter what tool you use, you need to learn (X)HTML and CSS. Programs take time to build and update (possibly years) therefore they can't always be up to date with the current standards even if you are using the latest greatest edition.

Also, they can't figure out everything you are trying to accomplish. You will notice that the "helping" screens are recycled. Some of which have spots for you to fill out which are not applicable to the element you are adding or editing.

If you don't know how to code, you won't be able to problem solve when the results don't turn out the way you wanted.

[Tutable Bookmarking]

I started over 10 years ago with Front Page and moved to Dreamweaver which is the best.

[Brazzell Marketing]

Yahoo! Sitebuilder is the best FREE WYSIWYG editor for non-coding people I've ever seen.

Pure Soul makes a good point. Dreamweaver helps build the websites, but you need Photoshop to to make the pretty pictures. This is the best way to go for paid options. The OP asked us to tell what the software does and doesn't do. Dreamweaver does so much, it's hard to list everything. Basically, once you have your pretty pictures, Dreamweaver does about everything you can think of (short of scripting your PHP, PERL, ASP, etc.) to make site creation easy. Although, it does automatically do some JAVA and other scripting as well.

NVU works great for a free option, but it doesn't support multipage websites. You have to remember all your file names and manage multipages manually. I'm prone to making typing errors in file names and URLs, so I like how Dreamweaver lets you point to other files in the website, and it auto loads the text in your hyperlink. I also like how Dreamweaver automatically updates all your links if you move a file into a different folder. Dreamweaver basically gives you tons of opportunities to point, drag or click your way into effects that would take several characters of code. Dreamweaver also does a very neat job of color coding and spatially organizing your code so it's easy to pick out elements.

For people who absolutely refuse / don't-have-time-to learn HTML but who want to design their own websites themselves, Yahoo has the best free site designer I've ever seen: Yahoo! SiteBuilder. I once built a site with it per the site owner's request. It's almost as powerful as Dreamweaver. It lacks the flexibility you will have with Dreamweaver, of course. Because Yahoo! Sitebuilder was made for use by people who don't know a lick of code. The more code / script we don't know, the more options we don't have.

[htmlbasictutor]

The original question:

Originally Posted by thestudent

What is some good web design software? Commonly used? Capability?

I think the intent of the question was a piece of software that professional web designers/developers use, not an online storebuilder.

[pretten]

I use Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop for website design..

[HL-Sean]

Dreamweaver got to be the best software out right now. Adobe makes great products I dont think any other company can be compared.

[blackfish]

I like Coreldraw. Illustrator is also good.

[jacob281]

i would prefer dreamweaver

[REMOVED]

[cheraimanoj]

Dreamweaver and fireworks

[warnesey333]

I hate letting a program generate code for me.

I like to write my code out and see what it does. You learn A LOT more and can be quicker in some cases.

That's why I stay far away from Dreamweaver and use Netbeans for PHP/HTML/CSS Development.

Great Environment with built in FTP client.

[htmlbasictutor]

Originally Posted by warnesey333

...I like to write my code out and see what it does. You learn A LOT more and can be quicker in some cases....

This is certainly true. Once you know how to code manually, then you can see what the WYSWYG editor(s) do wrong and are able to fix the code.

And...I do find it faster to just type the code than fixing code from using the push button features in a WYSWYG editor.

[aussielogodesign]

Most of the web designer used Dreamweaver for layout while Photoshop is for graphic design.

[turf]

i find dreamweaver not useful actually since there are lots of templates around.
and the fact that fantastico can install sites easily.

dreamweaver can only be good if you're create s static site.
and i find it great to use inkscape that any other graphic software.

[sonnydesign]

Number one on the list of course Dreanweaver followed by Microsoft frontpage

[digitalpointstore]

I am using Dreamweaver