Web Design Resources (Software)

[JackWolfgang]

Right now, my only recommendation is:

FireFox Web Developer Extension (https://addons.update.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&version=1.0%20&os=Windows&category=Developer%20Tools&id=60) by Chris Pederick (http://www.chrispederick.com/).

However, I downloaded the Vim Text Editor last night, and after I get it installed and tried, then I might recommend that too.

[JackWolfgang]

However, I downloaded the Vim Text Editor last night, and after I get it installed and tried, then I might recommend that too.

I played with Vim for a short while the other day, and it looks like it is going to be a bust (as in a bomb, something to get removed).

However, I downloaded another FireFox extension that looks pretty cool:

http://www.iosart.com/firefox/colorzilla/ (User-hosted extension page, also available from Mozilla Update)

[JackWolfgang]

I played with Vim for a short while the other day, and it looks like it is going to be a bust (as in a bomb, something to get removed).

I'll note that in *nix, I generally edit in Pico, but that did not contribute to my dissatisfaction with Vim. The product simply did not meet my needs.

http://www.iosart.com/firefox/colorzilla/ (User-hosted extension page, also available from Mozilla Update)

The version on Mozilla Update is much older than the version of the user-hosted site.

[David Gillaspey]

Hi Jack,

I've downloaded Colorzilla. I'll give it a try.

But why do they have to give these downloads extensions like ".xpi"? My Mac OSX has no idea what to do with that. I always have to change the extension (and other odd ones I've come across) to ".sit", at which point Unstuffit can unstuffit.

Sincerely,

David Gillaspey
President
Great Church Websites

[JackWolfgang]

I've downloaded Colorzilla. I'll give it a try.

But why do they have to give these downloads extensions like ".xpi"? My Mac OSX has no idea what to do with that. I always have to change the extension (and other odd ones I've come across) to ".sit", at which point Unstuffit can unstuffit.

David--

It's some new derivative of a compressed file format (JAR?) used specifically for installing on FireFox.

This Mozilla Page (http://www.mozilla.org/docs/xul/xulnotes/xulnote_packages.html) talks about building them.

--Jack

[JackWolfgang]

But why do they have to give these downloads extensions like ".xpi"? My Mac OSX has no idea what to do with that. I always have to change the extension (and other odd ones I've come across) to ".sit", at which point Unstuffit can unstuffit.

David--

If you open the XPI files with FireFox, it knows what to do with them.

--Jack

[David Gillaspey]

Jack wrote,

<< This Mozilla Page talks about building them. >>

Yup, you're right.

David Gillaspey
President
Great Church Websites

[JackWolfgang]

OK, I've been absent for a while, but I do have a couple new Firefox extension recommendations:

HTML Validator (based on Tidy): quickly shows the (X)HTML Validation Status in the status bar. Gives an improved source code window that allows you to see the problems.
http://users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/

IE Tab: Places an icon in your status bar that allows you to switch between viewing the page in Firefox and Internet Explorer.
http://ietab.mozdev.org

Both of these are available from the official Firefox Add-Ons page (https://addons.mozilla.org/).

Finally, for an FTP client, I finally switched from WS FTP LE (which is no longer available) to Filezilla, and I am quite pleased.
http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/

I continue to recommend the Web Developer extension that started this thread.

[JackWolfgang]

I'll add Araneae, which was recommended by Nathan Smith in another thread, to this list. It's not perfect, but the line numbers and rudimentary syntax highlighting make it worth the download.

http://www.araneae.com

Note: Nathan posted that it's Windows only, and although the site doesn't say it explicitly, it's implied.

[JackWolfgang]

Adding to my list, I've found the Fangs plugin for Firefox quite handy. It produces a textual representation of JAWS (a popular screen reader) spoken output.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/fangs