Description:
The complexity of building contemporary Web sites demands tools that are up to the task. Adobe's GoLive, now up to version 4.0.1, is an easy yet robust tool for designing and editing a modern site with all appreciated additions.As one would expect from Adobe, the documentation is clear and concise, and the interface adheres to the Macintosh standards that we all know. However, plenty of tool palettes and information windows make working on a one-monitor system with a screen resolution of 1024 by 768 or less seem cramped. A higher resolution screen or a dual-monitor system makes life easier. GoLive has some outstanding features, though, that set it apart from similar tools. For those using Dynamic HTML for animation, the timeline window and keyframe features are outstanding. Both position and stacking order of floating objects can be animated, and a floating object can be graphics or text. The record feature records motion on the fly, creating keyframes as needed, until the mouse button is released. This works well for creating complex animation, and saves the trouble of creating keyframes manually. The grid and rulers features are handy when laying out artwork, and the color palette uses eight different palette types for color selection. In addition to DHTML, GoLive fully supports Java, JavaScript, XML, cascading style sheets, and Active Server Pages. Adding features like mouseovers and menu navigation systems takes little effort. An integrated QuickTime editor is used for importing QuickTime movies and adding special effects, audio tracks, HREF links, text, and sprite tracks. Many of these are powerful QuickTime features that aren't exploited enough, and just the kind of thing that are perfect for the Web. It's nice to see them integrated into a Web design tool. Adobe has designed almost everything in GoLive to use a drag-and-drop method, and once the learning curve is climbed (not a steep hill), the Web designer is free to focus on the really hard part--good design. Although there are numerous templates and frame sets to start off with, good design is still the hardest part of creation. --Mike Caputo
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