| HotDog Pro (HDP) has
been a popular Web authoring tool for some time. Its latest incarnation is an extremely
powerful application. A key feature is its Web site management capabilities; although
these are aimed primarily at Web masters, its power and versatility should appeal to Web
authors at all levels. The heart of HDP is a very sophisticated code-based HTML editor. It
incorporates extensive support, including 'tooltips' on every tag, automatic highlighting
of syntax errors, and help files which contain both a complete HTML reference and plenty
of less formal advice about every aspect of developing Web pages and sites. A page preview
window built into the default interface shows what your code is producing without needing
to switch to an external browser.
Writing and editing are made easier
by numerous keyboard shortcuts (fully customisable); a comprehensive set of toolbars (also
customisable); HTML property sheets for easy access to every attribute of each tag; macro
facilities; and a bunch of powerful wizards for handling images, tables, frames, and just
about every other page element. A particularly neat touch is a wizard which generates a
page of clickable thumbnails from a given directory of image files.
The editor has several innovations,
for instance sections of a document can be 'collapsed' to get them out of the way when
completed, and there's a multiline clipboard that handles up to 100 chunks of text or
code. Syntax checking can be customised with an HTML tag filter to allow for the
idiosyncrasies of particular browsers. HTML can also be validated for compliance with
various versions of the language.
HDP allows ready access to partner
applications; it includes tightly integrated versions of three well-known third-party
programs, Paint Shop Pro 4.14, Linkbot and mBed Interactor. This feature which really
throws down the gauntlet to Sausage's competitors. In brief, these applications complement
HotDog's capabilities with excellent drawing and image processing tools, automated Web
site management including complete link checking, and tools for adding multimedia elements
to Web pages (as Dynamic HTML, Java applets or in mBed's native applet format). Additional
'SuperToolz' covering a wide range of functions (such as text effects) are available as
trialware from the Sausage Web site.
Web site management is considerably
simplified: all necessary files and folders can be organised on a local machine and
mirrored on a remote site, along with subsequent creations/deletions. The added power of
Linkbot makes it a snap to correct any errors such as invalid links on your site.
The new HotDog has too many
features to describe adequately in a brief review. Our only problem with the package is a
slight feeling of overload. We recommend that anyone with a serious interest in writing
for the Web should give it a try. |
