Microsoft Expression Web 3

Microsoft Expression Web 3.0 allows user to design, develop, and publish high quality, media rich websites. With built-in tools for code editing, support for PHP, AJAX, and ASP.NET web languages, and simply drag-and-drop Flash, Windows Media, and image support, Microsoft Expression Web 3.0 is perfect for webmasters, internet publishers, and anyone looking to develop a scalable web presence.

The major selling point for Expression Web 3.0 is the user-friendly options available, including drag-and-drop page media. While experienced users probably won't benefit much from these options, they're incredibly useful for amateur web developers and new users.

Flexible support for a huge variety of coding options makes Expression Web 3.0 a good pick for serious programmers and web developers. With support for over ten different web languages, there's little risk of developing with incompatible code. File support includes Flash, native Photoshop files, and audio/video files for on-page media.

Expression Web 3.0 also includes two other programs: Expression Design 3, and Expression Encoder 3. Design 3 is a relatively simple vector drawing application, which is perfect for developing web art, and Encoder 3 is ideal for encoding web video or online streaming media.

One thing that Microsoft have done very right is give users the ability to import full-compatibility Photoshop files. With full control over image transparency, layer data, and editing information, moving your web graphics from Photoshop to Expression 3.0 is remarkably simple.

FTP publishing is simple, with a built-in FTP export function that uploads and updates files directly to your server space. While this saves time for power users, some users have experienced compatibility and speed issues with the built-in FTP options.

Microsoft Expression Web: What We Liked

• Wide programming language support means that almost any developer will feel at home.
• Simple drag-and-drop media placement makes editing easy for new users.
• Built-in Photoshop compatibility is perfect for graphic designers and web artists.

Microsoft Expression Web: What We Didn't Like

• FTP functions can be slow at times.
• Adding .NET configuration files can bring on errors and compatibility problems.

Microsoft Support

Expression Web 3.0 is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Documentation is included, along with beginner guides and tutorials.

About Microsoft

Microsoft are one of, if not the, largest software manufacturers in the world. With a wide range of PC applications, operating systems, and mobile software platforms, Microsoft have established themselves as the largest company in PC operating software.

  

Expression Web 3 gives you everything you need to create and maintain exceptional standards-based Web sites, whether you work with PHP, HTML/XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, ASP.NET, or ASP.NET AJAX. It provides built-in support for today's Web standards, sophisticated CSS design capabilities, and impressive visual diagnostic tools.

Advanced visual diagnostics: Debug Web pages with Snapshot Preview, which shows rendered page changes while you code, and SuperPreview, which displays your page on multiple browsers on your development machine

Publishing flexibility: Choose the FTP method for publishing your site, whether FTP, SFTP, or FTPS, depending on what your Web server requires. Also do "live" on-server edits via FTP.

Precise control: Generate elegant, modern CSS layouts with a state-of-the-art design surface and the ability to directly manipulate positioning, sizing, margins and padding.

Professional graphics: Integrate vector artwork and bitmap images in the same document to create hybrid compositions that you can import in part or in whole into Expression Web.

Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) properties palette: Quickly see all of the styles, style properties and values, and order of precedence of styles used in the current selection in your Web page.

Professional code editor: Make your editing and debugging more productive with Intellisense and color-coding for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. Real-time standards validation provides instant feedback.

Dynamic interactive sites: Easily add Silverlight, Flash, or Windows Media files with drag-and-drop controls. Quickly encode and insert high-quality WMV, VC-1 and H.264 Silverlight video into your Web site.

Rich standards-based Web design: Work with nearly all essential technologies, such as PHP, CSS, HTML/XHTML, XML, XSLT, JavaScript, ASP.NET, ASP.NET AJAX, Silverlight, Windows Media, Adobe Flash and Photoshop files.