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Choosing an Authoring Tool

ASP is one of the few technologies that can be used effectively for creating both sophisticated and entry-level Web applications. Because of the flexibility of ASP, there is a wide variety of ASP development tools available for Web developers and authors having very different skill levels.

You can use any text editor to create *.asp files. As you progress, you may find it more productive to use an editor that has enhanced support for ASP, such as one of the following:

Vendor/Tool

Skill Level

User Interface

Description

Microsoft

FrontPage 2000

Entry- to mid-level

WYSIWYG

Microsoft’s entry-level product for Web page creation, includes solid ASP features.

Macromedia

Drumbeat

Entry- to mid-level

WYSIWYG

Includes advanced page-creation capabilities, mid-level ASP capabilities.

NetObjects

Fusion

Entry- to mid-level

WYSIWYG

Advanced page-creation capabilities, simple ASP features.

Macromedia

Dreamweaver

Mid-level

WYSIWYG

Offers advanced page creation and team-based capabilities, previews ASP results well.

NetObjects

ScriptBuilder

Mid-level to advanced

Code

Editor for creating server- and client-side script. Good code validation capabilities.

Sybase

PowerSite

Advanced

Code

PowerSite is a sophisticated IDE for developing data-driven Web applications.

Microsoft

Visual InterDev

Advanced

Code/

WYSIWYG

Microsoft’s flagship product for developing ASP applications.

Allaire

HomeSite

Advanced

Code

Code-based editor requires advanced HTML and ASP skills.

For more information about each of these tools, see the "Chili!Soft ASP Development Tools" white paper in "Appendix B: Chili!Soft ASP White Papers."

The depth and breadth of ASP development tools separates ASP from the rest of the pack as a Web application platform that meets the needs of a variety of users. Chili!Soft ASP, combined with one or more of these development tools, gives you a common Web application platform for applications large and small, simple or complex, for a host of popular Web servers and operating systems, and for developers and page creators with widely varying skill levels.

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