If you’re looking for an alternative free software like Adobe Dreamweaver, KompoZer is a complete web authoring system that combines web file management and easy-to-use WYSIWYG web page editing. Now there’s no need to pay a little fortune for a program to create and edit great-looking web pages, including powerful and easy to use CSS capabilities.
KompoZer is designed to be extremely easy to use, making it ideal for non-technical computer users who want to create an attractive, professional-looking web site without needing to know HTML or web coding. It combines an easy to use web page editor with a simple file management system. It’s intended to allow novices create web pages quickly and easily, without learning any complicated HTML coding. To some extent it is successful in that goal, but there are many limitations. KompoZer is an open-source project (kompozer.sourceforge.net and kompozer.net), so the software is free for users. Just download it and install.
The site manager, which allows you to work on different web sites, is as simple as it could be made. You just need your web hosting info (address, username and password) to configure it. The designers get high grades for making this easy.
The web page editor is the heart of the program and where you’ll spend most of your time. The WYSIWYG interface will be familiar to most users, although a rudimentary understanding of the basics of HTML will be helpful in using it. It provides you with enough tools to create decent web pages, including pictures, links, forms, tables and basic formatting. It allows you to use most standard HTML tags, and does a reasonable job with formatting. It will not handle complicated nested tables well, although with patience they can be accomplished. All the standard attributes for each tag type are also available.
Once your pages are created it takes only a single click to upload them to your web host. It literally couldn’t be simpler. There’s no need for a separate FTP program.The program allows for separate folders for images and other files although most users probably won’t bother.
If this process describes the total extent of your needs as a user, then KompoZer is a great program. I was trying to use it as a WYSIWYG web page editor for the layout and text of some web site projects, intending to later go in and add php, JavaScript and other programming to add functionality to my sites. KompoZer allows you to edit the raw HTML of your pages, and even add blocks of code that it will not touch. Unfortunately HTML code that the program creates is formatted with so much whitespace, and irregular line breaks and it’s very difficult to insert more than a few lines of code here and there. Also the whitespace would shift time you used the editor, spoiling any code indention that you created, making it almost impossible to do any serious coding. I suppose it was just not intended for this use so I should not be surprise to find its limitations in this regard.
Overall it’s a very good program if you use it within its limits. It was created for a very specific user and purpose and that it is very successful. If you’re a novice user trying to create simple web pages this may be the perfect tool for you.