KompoZer HTML Editor Review
The other day at work I needed to do some intensive, non-Notepad HTML work but found myself at a computer without Adobe DreamWeaver. So what did I do? I grabbed a copy of KompoZer, the open source WYSIWYG HTML editor based on the now defunct Nvu.
There are other free alternatives to DW, like the old Netscape Composer or even the version of FrontPage Express that came bundled with IE4 (I actually used it as my editor of choice years after IE updated). KompoZer is noteworthy in that, despite its lack of price tag, it is feature rich and gives DreamWeaver, a very expensive program, a run for its money.
Here are some quick pros and cons I wrote down as I was using it:
Pros:
- Tabbed WYSIWYG, Source, TAG, and Preview work areas
- HTML color coding
- CaScadeS CSS editor applies in real time
- All the standard object and formatting buttons and shortcuts
- DreamWeaver-like selectable tag hierarchy
- Spell check (not on by default)
Cons:
- Saving your work changes the view from source to normal
- Pasting rows bug
- Lots of automatic styling in tables and images
- Minor arrow text navigation bug
- No automatic HTML tag closing like DW
- Minor table cell align bugs (un-checking a box doesn’t revert to default)
- Selecting content between tables bug
- Automatic markup cleaner, while nice, removes empty lines used to better interpret code
Granted, those rough lists aren’t quite a thorough dissection of this rich and well-worked program, but, as you can see, the software is not without its bugs. They’re mostly minor, like source code not displaying properly as you navigate around, but they will get on your nerves.
Okay, verdictville. Is this program worth its salt? Definitely. How does it compare to its big brother from Adobe? It’s close, but not quite as good.
KompoZer is a great WYSIWYG HTML editor for quick, simple work. If you haven’t the dough for something better, it’s well worth a look.