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If you fall into the category of the standard web designer, which likely explains why you’re here, you’ve used some of today’s high-powered web IDEs: powerful tools for creating powerful websites and web applications, complete with built-in browser testing, some sort of crummy design view, version control, the works. It’s especially likely that you’ve used Macromedia (now known as Adobe) Dreamweaver.
Within the past two years, the eclipse project, a Java-based open source IDE, has been forked into two separate projects: Aptana, which is targeted primarily at AJAX-centric developers, and RadRails, which is a Ruby-on-Rails-targeted IDE, complete with version control, debugging, local testing and debugging, and remote deployment capabilities. The Aptana project has been growing fast with additions of full PHP and iPhone support and has recently incorporated the entire RadRails project, providing developers with the simultaneous advantages of a supported Ruby on Rails IDE with native AJAX development support. The Aptana Project has also found user-funded opportunities thanks to the development of Aptana Studio Pro, the beefier brother to Aptana, complete with JSON support, SVN & SSL control, Internet Explorer JavaScript debugging, and enhanced support features.
I’ve compiled some research done on both IDEs, and present to you a feature comparison chart that goes over the advantages and disadvantages of each choice. Since Aptana is free, I highly recommend you download it and try it out on something less-than pressing, such as a new theme for your new Wordpress install. While I’m hesitant to suggest that you try to convert your workplace to loyal Aptana followers, I think it’s a great way to get started learning Ruby on Rails or AJAX.
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XHTML
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YES
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YES
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Browser Compatibility Testing
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IE7, Firefox
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YES - IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari
Integration with Adobe CSS Advisor |
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CSS
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YES
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YES
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XML
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YES
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YES
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JavaScript
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YES
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YES
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AJAX
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YES - Spry
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YES - All major libraries
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PHP
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YES
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YES
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ColdFusion
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NO
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YES
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ASP
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NO
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YES
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ASP.NET
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NO
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YES
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Ruby on Rails
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YES. Use the RadRails plugin
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YES. Spotty support on plugin
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JSP
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Not currently. Future possibility
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YES
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Version Control
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SVN
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File Check-in/Check-out. A bit buggy
Third-party SVN plugin available for $53 Support for MS SharePoint Servers |
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JSON Support
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Studio Pro Only
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YES
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Secure FTP
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Studio Pro Only
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YES
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JavaScript Debugging
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Community: Firefox
Studio Pro: Firefox, IE |
YES. See Browser Compatibility Checking
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Support Plan
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Typical open-source support scheme for community version. Beefier and more comprehensive plan with Studio Pro
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Decent corporate support plan. Call center full of monkeys, web-knowledge-base
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Price
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Community: Free Studio Pro: $99/$199 Initially. $79 Annually Thereafter |
$399 initially. $199 for the upgrade
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PROs
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Great Open Source IDE with boundless potential for growth. It’s the best Ajax/RoR solution you will find anywhere. |
Dreamweaver is clearly a mature, proven, and enterprise-ready product that has been in use by developers and designers alike for years. Dreamweaver is the best choice for mission-critical work.
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CONs
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It’s JAVA-based, and JAVA is notoriously bad at managing system resources. Expect to upgrade your memory. Support is what you pay for. Bug fixes and feature adds come only as fast as the development team can afford to make them. |
Support for Ruby on Rails is sketchy, and the price is prohibitive to entry-level developers and designers.
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