A Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 2, March 2003
STC WVC Home> Newsletter Table of Contents>Software Review: 1st Page 200 by Evrsoft
 

Software Review: 1st Page 2000 by Evrsoft

This column introduces and reviews lesser-known Windows software that might be helpful to technical communicators. Major software applications, such as Word, Framemaker, etc. will not be reviewed here.

1st Page 2000 by Evrsoft (downloadable from www.evrsoft.com) is an award-winning, free WYSIWYG HTML editor. Yes, free! -- it's not Dreamweaver, but neither is it FrontPage or a text editor. If you are on a budget, or if you simply want to play around with HTML, be sure to check out 1st Page. Free, in 1st Page's case, doesn't mean "stripped down" -- this app is flexible, powerful, and full of features.

Most professional Web builders have their horror stories about using WYSIWYG editors, because for the most part these applications don't create clean code, or, they add unwanted code. 1st Page not only creates clean code, it also doesn't add unwanted HTML code. It even comes with TidyHTML built in to the program!

The first time you use 1st Page, you will be asked which user mode you want to use: Easy, Expert, or Advanced; the toolbar is different for each user mode. The Start Manager opens when you start 1st Page. This is an opt-out screen from which you can open a new HTML document, create or apply a template, access the 1st Page Tips & Tricks, or access tutorials on HTML and Web design. When you open a new document in 1st Page, a new HTML document opens, with the W3C, head, and body tags at appropriate places in the document. From here, you can write your own code, or use 1st Page's 450+ Java and VB scripts.

1st Page has an attractive interface, and users will feel at home with1st Page's text formatting, editing function, and file function toolbars, which are constant for all user modes. EvrSoft has also included tabs for other HTML editing functions on the static toolbar. These include: Fonts, Lists, Tables, Frames, Forms, Scripts, Advanced, Navigation, ASP, SSI, and Standard. In an open document, three tabs above the document editing area let you select either Editing mode, Preview mode, or Reference (Help) mode.

1st Page simplifies insertion of common tags: Just position the cursor at the point in the document where you want a tag, then click the Tag drop-down menu and the tag you want to insert. A Format Text window makes coding all attributes of a font a snap. You can also easily format document properties, page transitions and page margins.

My wish list for 1st Page is short: Evrsoft should include a better Help system to an otherwise strong program. The current Help system is a system of online documents about the features of 1st Page, and does very little to actually teach you how to use the program. The Evrsoft Web site include a thorough Help section, though, including a support forum. Most users should have little trouble learning the program, however, and beginners to HTML should find the resources available to be helpful. Also, some of the scripts included with 1st Page are on the hokey side, but they all work – cleanly.

Summary

Evrsoft 1st Page 2000 is a powerful, feature-rich, flexible, free application that helps you write, edit, and improve your HTML, and has many powerful tools for Web authoring and learning HTML. Whether you're a beginner or an HTML guru you'll find that 1st Page 2000 is a robust, user-friendly program. I’m amazed that this app is free!

Features

Customizable keyboard shortcuts
Customizable toolbar buttons
Dockable/floating toolbars
3 development modes (Easy/Expert/Hardcore)
Store your own code snippets in myCode Library
450+ Javascripts/VBScripts
DHTML Zone with re-usable DHTML scripts
Full support for SSI, CGI, Perl, Cold Fusion, ASP
Javascript rollover images
Javascript/VBScript object tree
HTML Source Compressor - reduce Web page file size
Flash 4/Shockwave/Java/ActiveX support
6 common Javascript wizards
Over 20+ CGI/Perl/HTML scripts
3 chart HEX color picker
Tag lists (Filter Zone)
Calculate image sizes (height/width)
Drag-drop from Explorer
Source code formatter
Contextual tag help
Complete Web building reference
Spell checker
Thesaurus
Special/extended character list

Requirements

Microsoft Internet Explorer v3.02 or higher

PC with Pentium 75 MHz or higher processor

Microsoft Windows® 95 or later operating system, Microsoft Windows NT® Workstation operating system version 4.0 or later with Service Pack 3 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT® Server operating system version 4.0 or later with Service Pack 3 or later. Windows 2000, Windows Me and Windows XP are now supported.

For Windows 95 or Windows 98: 32 MB of RAM for the operating system, plus an additional 8 MB of RAM for 1st Page 2000.

For Windows NT/2000 or XP: 256 MB of RAM for the operating system, plus an additional 8 MB of RAM for 1st Page 2000.

15 MB of available hard-disk space

VGA or higher-resolution monitor; Super VGA recommended

Microsoft compatible mouse

Kevin Cox is Assistant Editor for The Willamette Galley. He can be reached
knccomm@hotmail.com.