Mac

Windows

Shareware – new version

This HTML editor's many features include Expresso FTP for uploading and downloading, an image gallery with quick-linking images, a handy Flash text wizard, automatic image sizing and highlighted tags. It comes with loads of graphics, icons, photos and animated GIFs, as well as many JavaScript scripts. 'Live Preview' supports JavaScript, StyleSheets and DHTML.

CoffeeCup HTML Editor gives you a frame designer, a table designer, a font designer and an HTML code cleaner. Version 9.0 added a Flash Effects wizard and Flash tag insertion capabilities, built-in live chat help (for registered users), a Web page wizard for beginners, and quick launch for all CoffeeCup's other software titles. With this latest version you also get 'Quick Post', which makes it easy to add news to your site.

Web link: www.coffeecup.com

Shareware

TopStyle helps you create cross-browser cascading style sheets by alerting you of problems as you work. Featured in this new version are site reports, improvements to colour editing, and various enhancements. This non-expiring 'nag-ware' version allows unlimited usage for evaluation.

Note: MS Internet Explorer 4.0 or later is required for internal previewing and HTML-based help features.

Web link: www.bradsoft.com

30-day trial

CuteSite Builder is based around the use of templates, so those new to Web design will be able to get up and running with the minimum of fuss – simply add your own content. Laying out graphics and uploading your pages to the Web are easy tasks. But you also get site organisation tools and the ability to add user feedback forms. Requires MS Internet Explorer 5 or later.

Web link: www.globalscape.com

30-day trial – latest version

This award-winning program lets you create a simple online shop without any programming knowledge. It is easy to set up payment types, prices, tax, delivery calculations for customers, mandatory field checking, order status checking, and more. You have full control over design by supplying templates to the program so you can insert cart controls into your existing HTML pages. WebGenie provides an unlimited number of catalogues as well as an unlimited number of items per catalogue.

Dynamic catalogues are also supported and can be managed and updated on your site. It contains CGI support for both Unix and NT which you can run on your own server (not available in unregistered version) or opt to run the CGI application off WebGenie's secure server. There's also support for payment gateways such as WorldPay and iTransact.

Web link: www.webgenie.com

New 30-day free trial

Actinic Catalog is a relatively inexpensive way to run an attractive, efficient online shop, without spending thousands on site development. The program has steadily been gaining popularity, with thousands of businesses now utilising it. It is quick and easy to go from nothing to a working e-commerce site and you don't need to be a computer expert to use it. You can publish an illustrated online catalogue and download orders securely for processing and invoicing; stock monitoring, back order management and shipping reports can be generated.

Once you have defined your products and chosen a look and feel for your site (you can design your own, but there are loads of pre-defined themes you can choose from) you're ready to upload your site to the server. You can run your own server if you wish, but it's easier to leave that to someone else, and there are plenty of partner organisations listed on Actinic's Web site (se link below) with servers equipped to accept Actinic site uploads.

Updates in this version include: more options in the reporting tool; the sending of confirmation emails is integrated with the various screens in the system; the handling of tax matters (for international orders) has been enhanced, as well as the shipping and handling options; and there's a host of additions to the customisable look and feel components. There has also been a major overhaul of help files and documentation.

During installation of Actinic Catalog as a 30-day free trial, click 'Bypass' on the authorisation screen. Registration costs £349.

Web link: www.coalesys.com

Latest 30-day trial

PanelBar for ASP is a scriptable COM object that returns all of the HTML code necessary to display a complete navigation control using the popular metaphor of sliding groups. Create cross-browser DHTML navigators using ASP, quickly and slickly – no plug-ins or client applets needed. This update includes various enhancements and improved usability.

Note: the PanelBar Visual Editor requires MS Internet Explorer 4 or later. See the readme.txt file for more details on requirements and updates.

Web link: www.coalesys.com

Latest 30-day trial

WebMenu uses the ASP server framework for creating an advanced DHTML popup-menu which is compatible with the leading browsers. The WebMenu component is installed on the ASP Web server and is managed at run-time by server-side script. HTML source code is generated and downloaded to the client, tailored for the specific browser being used. This update features various enhancements including streamlining of generated code.

With minimal use of graphics, time and effort, WebMenu can provide a cross-browser menu that can be integrated into practically any page – no browser plug-ins, no client-side code branching.

Note: the WebMenu Visual Editor requires MS Internet Explorer 4 or later. See the readme.txt file for more details on requirements and updates.

Web link: www.coalesys.com

Recently updated – Shareware

Create professional looking pull-down menus for your Web pages without writing a single line of code. Use DHTML Menu Builder to design menus in a tree structure or to add images and special effects to existing menus. Included is a Hot Spot Editor that will let you attach the code to your Web page automatically, and a contextual help feature. Code generated with DHTML Menu Builder is compatible with Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Opera under Windows, Mac and Linux. Requires MS IE 5 or above. This update includes numerous bug fixes, including better compatibility with XP.

Note: the Compiler is disabled in this trial version.

Web link: http://software.xfx.net

Recently updated – 30-day trial version

If you're a beginner, let Style Master teach you the ins and outs of Cascading Style Sheets, while as a more experienced user you will not be constrained. Use the intuitive WYSIWYG approach or get your mits dirty with some hand coding.

This Style Master trial can be run as either the standard or pro version. Pro gives you CSS2 capabilities. This new version features powerful Find and Replace; tools for converting aging HTML pages to ones meeting standards of CSS and HTML 4.0; support for WAP 2.0 Wireless Web development; and more.

Web link: http://www.westciv.com

Latest version – Free

This robust application can import and automatically convert documents, tables, and outlines from any Windows compliant application to HTML. It also supports up to six Web browsers, CGI, frames, Perl, C++, Java, and JavaScript. Arachnophilia has an internal browser for previewing, a spell checker, built-in FTP client, tutorials, and loads of other features.

Note: if you are upgrading from an earlier version of Arachnophilia and you have changed or created new toolbars or keyboard macros, be sure to back up your changes before upgrading. Go to the Arachnophilia program directory and choose the toolbars subdirectory. Make copies of all the files in this subdirectory and save them elsewhere. Then, when the upgrade is complete, copy your changed files back to this subdirectory.

Web link: www.arachnoid.com

Shareware

Decrease the file size of your HTML pages to save on Web storage space and to increase the access speed to your site. This program uses LZW arithmetic for HTML data compression. The unregistered version throws in a 15 second delay before starting.

Web link: http://dddvideo.vip.myrice.com

Shareware

HTMLed is an excellent HTML editor for those who like to get their hands on some code but also require the speed of shortcuts. Although lacking HTMLed Pro features such as the frame designer, imagemap editor, ftp facilities etc., this cut down version has all the basics you could want – colour-coded syntax, multi-file search and replace, form and table designers, help and reference material, loads of shortcuts and custom toolbars. Best of all it's small and very fast.

Web link: www.ist.ca

Free

Cool Page is a WYSIWYG Web page design tool that allows you to create a page simply by dragging and dropping objects into a layout. By pushing a publish button, you can automatically upload your site to the Internet. Pages designed with Cool Page are compatible with Netscape, Internet Explorer and the AOL browser. Cool Page has unlimited undo and redo capabilities that allow you to go back to how your page looked at any point in the design process.

Along with various changes this version of Cool Page adds EasyCounter, a graphical page hit counter – new styles can be added by simply dropping images in a digits folder. EasyCounter caches digit images on the client side for improved speed and reduced host bandwidth usage. Also included are 'SWFlets' – Flash plug-ins with drag-and-drop functionality – as well as more WYSIWYG drag-and-drop Java applet plug-ins.

Note: this free version is fully functional but will display a splash page at startup that gives you the option to buy paid versions of the program.

Web link: www.3dize.com

Mac OS

NOTE: The Mac programs are mostly in archived 'HQX' (BinHex) files – they can be extracted with several applications, including Stuffit Expander (which is on the CD...). Clicking on the links below should set the process in motion. You may receive a message that the file cannot be loaded into Simple Text — if so, start Stuffit and then open the HQX file you want from within Stuffit.

Latest 30-day trial version

If you're a beginner, let Style Master teach you the ins and outs of Cascading Style Sheets, while as a more experienced user you will not be constrained. Use the intuitive WYSIWYG approach or get your mits dirty with some hand coding.

This Style Master trial can be run as either the standard or pro version. Pro gives you CSS2 capabilities. This new version features powerful Find and Replace; tools for converting aging HTML pages to ones meeting standards of CSS and HTML 4.0; support for WAP 2.0 Wireless Web development; and more.

Web link: http://www.westciv.com

Limited use demo version

Use Web Page Calendar to put a calendar on your Web site. The setup wizard guides you through everything you need to create slick looking events calendars. The interface lets you type or paste your events straight into the relevant dates and you can add extra HTML code for images or pop-up links. All the calendar properties can be changed including font and colour styles, text alignment, language, custom header and footer HTML, and more. A preview is available and when you're done, you can save the HTML into your site. All your events are saved so you can rerun the program and edit your calendar at a later date.

This shareware program can be run up to six times before you are asked to register.

Web link: www.webpagecalendar.com

Recently updated – 15-day demo

Note: needs CarbonLib 1.3 if not using OS X.

This program assists you in creating pages with HTML coding. You get full colour-coding of syntax, HTML tag auto-fill, the ability to compress (and decompress) HTML to save space and time when loading pages, and full find-and-replace tools. You can then preview and test the pages in your Web browser (there is a built-in FTP client as well). Features auto save and crash protection. This update includes various enhancements.

You cannot save files in this demo version.

Web link: www.pinehillproducts.com

Latest version – 25-use trial

HTML Optimizer is a tool designed to streamline your Web site and allow quicker access to its pages. It checks your Web pages for broken links and dangling tags, and optimises both text and graphic files.

The five basic functions of HTML Optimizer allow you to optimise HTML code by removing unnecessary characters and tags, which results in the faster loading of your pages in your client's browser; check the so-called tagged pairs, such as the tags that always have to appear together with their end tags; check the validity of the internal hyperlinks, eight levels deep; mark dangling tags and missing attributes to find and fix them quickly; and convert special characters to the HTML entity notation. Thi version features a bug fix.

Web link: www.tonbrand.nl

Shareware – updated 21-day trial version

PageSpinner is a full-featured HTML editor with a built-in HTML assistant that makes it great for beginners, while still packing the power to satisfy professionals. It previews in multiple browsers and supports cascading style sheets, PHP, ASP and Java. As well as various improvements and bug fixes, this version features an updated Database Publishing Kit with support for AppleWorks 6 databases.

Web link: www.optima-system.com

Latest version – free

(Runs native on OS X.)

This is the cut-down free version of BBEdit, the popular text and HTML editor. BBEdit Lite doesn't offer fancy word processor formatting capabilities, but focuses on helping you manipulate text in ways that word processors generally can't. Some of the powerful features you can use in BBEdit Lite include regular expression ('grep') search and replace, multi-file search, and sophisticated text transformations.

This update fixes various bugs, including several relating to OS X 10.1.

Some of the extras you get if you upgrade to the full BBEdit are: editing of multi-byte text and Unicode files; a complete set of HTML tools for fast, easy and correct markup; floating HTML Tools palette; GoLive and PageMill cleaner tools; Syntax Checker; integrated HTML-aware spelling checker; and more.

Web link: www.barebones.com