WATYF said:
I'd say for someone starting out, FrontPage can be pretty handy, because it will allow you to create something using drag-and-drop, and then click the HTML tab and see exactly what HTML was used to create it...
That's what I did in Dreamweaver.
It's a lot like learning to play an instrument. Initially, it’s better to learn how to do something then try to understand why it works that way. When I learned guitar, I had teacher after teacher try to start me with that ridiculous Mel Bay’s Guitar 1 book. So what happens? I do what I feel a vast majority of people would do in
that situation. I quit every time because most people can’t handle the coordination demands on your hands as well as tackling the logic of theory, intervals, modes, or even simple melody. When I found a teacher who told me to “just put your fingers here” I was served a hefty helping of immediate gratification. I was encouraged by my accomplishments, My desire to learn was reinforced and I continued on the path of learning to play songs to the point where my hands were good enough that I could worry less about dexterity and more about learning the rules
of the instrument. I feel it’s made me a more motivated and consistent guitar player.
With Dreamweaver, I first learned to design a site. I wrote text in a table, threw images in side frame and “made them buttons,” and posted MS word html pages of the tabs I’d done. Then, with an example of something I had done, I had a perspective from which to learn. Just like WATYF, I read the source after I made them by toggling back and forth and learned both.
Now, I’m not saying learning to do things “the right way” by learning HTML won’t work. I’m sure it would. I, however, don’t have time to waste doing things the right way if there is no discernible difference to most web visitors doing it a much faster way. i'm also not a big fan of this dorky elitist attitude among coders that if you don't do your site in notepad, you're not worth your salt. I'm not saying I'm hearing that here, just that I encounter it.
to them, I say PHOOEY!~@#
2pence.
stone
