Search Extensions    

An online web panel for editing HTML pages

The Content Management Systems (CMS) are a must today for websites that plan to keep their content up-to-date. There are many complete and complex CMS systems but most of them aren't friendly with Dreamweaver and sometimes we are looking for something easy to install and keeping at the same time the control over our website structure.

This review is about the TDE Website Editor, a CMS for Dreamweaver that allows us to edit sections of our websites using an online web panel.

Two versions of this software are offered separately, the first one for servers with support for PHP scripts and the second one for servers with support for classic ASP scripts... and here we have one of the interesting features that should be remarked for this tool: while the admin area required PHP or ASP scripts, the editable pages can be classic ".html" or ".htm" pages since there is an option to load the content using browser-side JavaScripts... why is this important? Imagine that you have an existent website (containing static ".html" pages) and you want to add a CMS to edit the content of its pages: probably you will like to keep the website structure including the ".html" file extension and this is possible when using the TDE Website Editor to insert editable sections into the existent ".html" pages.

Dreamweaver CMS
Fig.1 - TDE Website Editor, Dreamweaver interface.

Despite the interesting feature based in JavaScript mentioned in the previous paragraph, we'd like to recommend you to use the option for "PHP pages" or "ASP pages" (if possible) when inserting the editable contents since this way you will get better SEO (search engine optimization) results because it keeps all the content visible to the search engine robots.

The reliability and security are other important features: The TDE Website Editor has become a popular product between Dreamweaver users, so it has been extensively tested and we can expect to find a stable version.

One restriction is that there is only one administrator access account for the TDE Website Editor admin area on each website; however in most cases this isn't relevant since the product has been designed to keep it as easy to use as possible by most users while at the same time meeting the most common requirements.

It is easy for both the developer installing the product and the final customer that will edit the website. The integration with Dreamweaver helps to avoid the technical details and code. The WYSIWYG editor included in the admin area has all the needed functions, including the possibility of uploading images. Adding a non-invasive CMS to a website is no longer difficult if you are using this software.

Dreamweaver CMS
Fig.2 - WYSIWYG Editor, administration area.

The documentation is relatively short but it contains all that we need to know without having to read long and tedious contents; after reading the basics you will be able to proceed with the use of the product, saving this way a precious time. You have access to the video/demo that shows the installation and use, an online demo for both the admin and public website areas that helps to see practical sample before getting the product, a frequently asked questions list useful if you need to make configuration adjustments and a section labeled "Development notes" that includes important information and some optional tips for advanced developers. The support service is usually fast and efficient and is open to offer custom modifications and installation services with acceptable fees.

Does it have more features available? Yes, but this is a short review with just a few remarks :) ... you are free to go the product details to check it by yourself and evaluate if it meet your project requirements. Happy Dreamweavering!