DW3 problem/question

[Jaguar]

I designed a site in DW3 recently and had a few probs with making it look the same in IE and Netscape, and probs when i increaded the font size in the browsers.

After ages trying to get the thing to work properly i decided to try Frontpage express and it worked no probs first time.

So my basic question is does DW write the HTML to the page in a different way to standard web site design progs? , or is it just a bit bugged in certain areas?

[alpha]

Dreamweaver is considerably better than basically any other website creation problem, and you can't do much worse than FrontPage Express :D. However, I imagine in this case it's just down to the two programs using different ways to set font size. As I don't use either I'd have to see the code...

[Godin]

Tho to be honest netscape (at least in version 4) has gone down hill as a browser I tend to find any diffs I see between code viewed in IE and netscape is solely down to some little piece of syntax that Netscape deciedes it doesnt like. Tho I have high hopes for Netscape 6 since it has been nigh on rewritten from the ground up.

[Jaguar]

I love DW3 usually, i only turned to FPe (first time ive ever used it) out of exasperation in this case. I was surprised to see the page work without any problems after i did itin FPe. :)

[Jamp30]

i see jaguar has ventured into the webdesign forum
(jamp30 = TheBigCheese)

[Slam]

Just out of interest, did you compare the HTML source before and afterwards?

As the general consesus seems to be, I'd guess it's down to how each generator handles defaults - font sizes, line spacing etc.
Isn't there an option in DW3 to check the HTML and make sure it's Netscape friendly? or is that Frontpage 2000 - can't remember now.

I have to admit, I'll often turn to using something like Textpad when Dreamweaver refuses to do what I want it to do - usually it decides to play the clown when I'm trying to get the padding and spacing right in tables.

[Jaguar]

I did check the HTML, but im no expert and i could'nt see the prob :(

The actual prob was that the site was designed with tables. In one of the cells i had an image as the background. This works ok in IE, but in Netscape the cell became the height of the actual image despite me trying to make it smaller, and warped a great deal when u increased the font size (its not a regular pattern so when u increase the font size (there's no text in the cell) the cell expands and the image wraps around making it look v ugly) there was also minor probs when i increased the font size in IE.

However when i made it in Frontpage the thing worked ok no probs . Just thought it was odd, but as u say DW though generally great, sometimes plays the clown, and u have to resort to another prog to sort it out.

[alpha]

Adding the height and width attributes to the table cell to force it to the size of the background image should solve the problem. FrontPage probably did this as it tends to use fixed with cells whereas Dreamweaver tends to use percentage width (I think).

[mr_grumpy_man]

DW will do tables however you want 'em. Fixed by specifying percentage or pixel sizes, or unrestricted.

Fonts are a biiig problem with Web Design. People don't always have the pretty font you want to use, and people can fiddle with font settings on their browser if they want to.

Check out Slam's suggestion, and post what you find, I think we'd all like to know what FP is actually doing right :)

[Rapter Red]

are you havin a moan about FP old Grump m8, Ya just can resist a little dig can ya, :) thats another 1 on the tally chart, :)

[alpha]

Almost any dig at Microsoft FrontPage Express is justified IMO...