Sometimes all you want is one program or group of integrated programs to do your Web
1. Dreamweaver
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Dreamweaver is one of the most popular professional Web development software packages available. It offers power and flexibility to create pages that meet your needs. I use it for everything from JSP, XHTML, PHP, and XML development. It is a good choice for professional Web designers and developers, but if you're working as a solitary freelancer, you might want to look at one of the CS suites like Web or Design to get graphics editing capability as well.
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2. Adobe Creative SuiteAdobe released Creative Suite 3 in a bunch of different combinations. While you can still buy each product separately, buying a bundle might save you money. But how do you decide between the different versions which one is best for you? I believe that any of these four editions would work for most Web designers: Web Standard, Design Premium, Web Premium, or the Master Collection. But you should buy the edition that works best for your needs.
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3. Microsoft Expression Web
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Expression Web is Microsoft's newest Web editing software. It offers everything professional Web designers have come to expect from a world-class Web editing tool, including HTML validation, WYSIWYG and text editor support, support for CSS and non-HTML pages like ASP, and lots of pre-built templates to start with. The biggest benefit to Expression Web over other top-quality Web editors is the price. But with Microsoft products you get locked into Microsoft - there isn't a lot of native support for PHP or JSP and it doesn't have the photo gallery maker like FrontPage used to.
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4. Microsoft Expression StudioExpression Studio combines Expression Web with Expression Design, Blend, and Media to give you a full graphic and Web design suite. If you are a freelance Web designer who needs to be able to edit graphics in something more powerful than Microsoft Paint, then you might want to look at Expression Studio. It offers all the features you expect from a world-class Web editing suite. The only drawback (and it may not be a drawback) is that with Microsoft tools you are strongly encouraged to use only Microsoft technologies. For example, there is a lot of ASP support, but very little or no PHP and JSP support.
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