Do you write html in notepad?

[G_Morgan]

Originally Posted by TcM

Text editors are the way to go, with them you can do the real thing!

It's control that's the big issue for me. I always write my GUI's with a pattern of

GUI (implementing a GUI interface) <-> ControllerClass <-> Backend

This way the raw interactions are in the controller class and can be automatically tested by mocking the GUI interface. The GUI just passes out events to the controller and renders whatever the controller tells it to. It's hard to set this up with code generating visual editors.

A similar principle applies to web development though the specifics differ.

When you use a code generator you are always forced into the methodology of the person who wrote the code generator and it is very rarely what you want.

[Xav]

You can still use VWD, but just with code view - it is excellent for writing code, ignoring the GUI completely.

[G_Morgan]

Having access to the output code doesn't really help in most cases. It still enforces a structure on you that precludes certain forms of black box testing.

[Xav]

No, not the output code - I meant the Code View in VWD.

[scsefrmr]

Xav is right, VWD is excellent for typing the raw code in. It has that VB feel where it gives you a drop down list for alternative commands for the text you have typed etc.
I was impressed by that, made it a lot easier.
Plus theres less chance for user error, as it gives you the commands available for the position your cursor is in the code (i.e. it will only offer <TD> and </TR> if you are typing after a <TR> tag in HTML).

[Xav]

I'm always right.

[G_Morgan]

Originally Posted by scsefrmr

Xav is right, VWD is excellent for typing the raw code in. It has that VB feel where it gives you a drop down list for alternative commands for the text you have typed etc.
I was impressed by that, made it a lot easier.
Plus theres less chance for user error, as it gives you the commands available for the position your cursor is in the code (i.e. it will only offer <TD> and </TR> if you are typing after a <TR> tag in HTML).

Just about every IDE on the planet has code completion. Well there are some text editors with code completion as well. Emacs certainly has it.

[TcM]

VWD is a text editor or something like dreamweaver?

[chili5]

It's kind of like Dream weaver but looks more like Visual Studio.

[Xav]

It can be whatever you want it to be - download it at Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition.

Like Dreamweaver, it has a WYSIWIG (and an excellent one at that, which allows you to apply styles to elements with a properties window, add controls, the works). However, it's real strength is in code view. As long as the file type of the file is recognised, you can edit the code easy peasy.

For example, you type a <table> tag. Once you type <table , a window pops up with all the attributes you can use, with code completion. After the <table> tag, simply type the < character, and it displays a list with the different tags (eg <tr>) that you can use in this circumstance. I think the main difference is that it sort of 'understands' the code more than a text editor, if you know what I mean. It generally makes the coding a lot more enjoyable and easy.