Adobe Dreamweaver is a widely used Web design and development application. As of June 2011, there were nearly 4 million active sites known to have been developed using Dreamweaver. Many companies and organisations consider it the standard development environment for Web-based work. As with any complex program, however, there are advantages and disadvantages to using Dreamweaver.
Widespread Use
Dreamweaver's widespread use in the industry is one of its strongest selling points. Because it is so widely used, there is a large community of users who can provide support to beginners. There is also a large market for third-party resources, such as extensions and templates.
Site Management
Another strength is its powerful site management abilities. Dreamweaver is not designed to create single pages, although it can be used for that. Its primary function is to develop entire websites. Links, files and directories are all easily managed via Dreamweaver's interface.
- Another strength is its powerful site management abilities.
- Dreamweaver is not designed to create single pages, although it can be used for that.
Complexity
In many ways, Dreamweaver's powerful abilities are also its greatest disadvantage. The program is so powerful and has so many features, that it can be quite daunting for a beginner to grasp. Using Dreamweaver to the full extent usually requires a significant investment of time and comes with a steep learning curve.
Cost
With the standalone version of Dreamweaver costing £259, cost may be a major disadvantage for some. If Dreamweaver is bundled with one of Adobe's Creative Suite editions, the cost can range from £844 to £1,689.