VWD is really good (if you like ASP.NET) and has seamless integration with SQL 2005 and the starter kits and interface rock. Also VWD express and SQL express are alos free

Anyone has any thoughts about CoffeeCup HTML editor? I use the free version besides using Dreamweaver and Notepad++. Obviously I haven't made up my mind on which one to use for XHTML editing.

Unlike CoffeeCup and Notepad++ and Ultraedit (which I had used before), DW loads like snailzzzzzz. Not to mention closing DW, still like snailszzzzzz.

But I love DW for it's GUI and its autocompletion. It had help me alot during my apprenticeship as a Web programmer. :cheesy:

Give vimtutor a try - it gets installed with vim on most distros and gives you a quick rundown of the goodies.

vim is the most productive editor I have ever used; I use it every day and would feel lost without it.

This is really a funny topic as it is kind of like comparing hand tools vs. power tools on a construction site. Both have their place!

Absolutely learn your HTML, CSS, etc, but.... who is paying your fee? Serving the client with a site that works (in IE, Firefox, Safari, Netscape, etc...) is really the goal right?

In other words, like framing a house, if you are used to a hammer instead of a nail gun, you will build a cleaner frame pretty fast, but it will take you longer than any nail gun. That said, they are both still framed and strong.

Yes, Dreamweaver is a WYSIWYG that generates some extra code, but if you stay current with it (I am referring to the latest version), it is getting better all the time. The current versions support (and sometime even create) a host of dynamic based code including PHP, ASP, SHTML, DHTML, XML, JSP, CSS, Java, and so on. There is a reason the production firms use it... it helps them do all I have mentioned before including management of the Check-in/check-out process and site-wide linking issues.

The market in general shows several things... Most predominantly, Web Sites these days are for small businesses. Most do not need complex data bases or even super dynamic properties, mostly due to the fact that they are simple information based. The small business client will also need to access and utilize certain marketing aspects like Email Marketing... but again, for a small fee, they can be taught to generate their own via a custom form based format, either something like Constant Contact or something that is created by us Webmasters.

In conclusion...
I know that as a small business man myself, a single entity, I can handle almost twice as many clients and get them the results faster with a WYSIWYG where it is appropriate. I say: "Don't be such a purist that you lose clients because you cannot deliver on time, as some WYSIWYG user will certainly build a quality site (one that works well for the client) faster!"

I am just sayin'....

Peace & Love

Dreamweaver helps us do our coding easily by drag n drop, but we need some clearing of junk codes which it generates that way. But the best part in Dreamweaver is that its less prone to errors that we may tent to do like opening n closing tags at appropriate places while writing long codes and also testing it according to standards is made easier.

Any how learning code is essential for being a good developer coz Dreamweaver can't write intelligent and optimized codes.