Web Designer’s Toolbox

New to Web Design? Join the club. Here are a few programs you might need along the way.

1. Choose a Good Web Development IDE

It’s important to select an IDE which works best for you. There are several IDEs to choose from (some more functional than others), so be sure to decide on which one works best with your workflow.

1. Adobe Dreamweaver. The Web Development IDE of choice for both basic and advanced web designers. If you’re not sure which one to get, DW would be a good place to start.
2. Aptana Studio. Dubbed the  Dreamweaver Killer, Aptana Studio is a great alternative  to DW because it’s free (as in “free beer”). Now in version 2, a lot of professional web designers are looking to switch to Aptana within the next 2 or 3 version upgrades (myself included).
3. Notepad++. Windows notepad on steroids.
4. Notepad/TextEdit. Your last resort.

2. Utilities

Web Development is all about testing your site in as many browsers as you can. Be sure to install as many browsers as your system allows to keep your site in shape.

1. Firefox Browser. The browser of choice for the new web user. No other browser comes close to its speed and compatibility.
2. Chrome Browser. A good alternative to Firefox.
3. IE6 Standalone. Runs IE6 without overwriting your existing IE browser.
4. IE7 Standalone. Runs IE7 without overwriting your existing IE browser.
5. Spoon Browser Sandbox. Run almost any browser on any system. Works really well but you might notice a slight efficiency drop on slower computers.
6. Consolas Font Family. Looking at code all day can be quite dizzying. Consolas is a sweet alternative to Courier New.

Optional items (for more advanced users)

1. XAMPP. Runs a localized server on your computer allowing you to test server-specific files such as PHP and .htaccess files.
2. IE Collection. A huge collection of IE browsers all they way from version 3.1 to IE8.

Never use these (ever!)

1. MS Frontpage. Don’t kid yourself, this one isn’t even worth explaining.
2. Adobe GoLive. Back when Dreamweaver still belonged to Macromedia, Adobe launched its own web IDE called GoLive to combat DW. GoLive was so bad Adobe became the laughing stock in Web IDEs. Instead of fixing it, they bought Maromedia instead.