Web Design Forums

Snowshiro · 09-08-2007, 07:24

Started using it on a project yesterday. It's aimed at speeding up a lot of the tedious but necessary stuff we often code from scratch when developing PHP/MySQL driven sites (although it also supports other technologies).

It's a bit fiddly at first and sometimes doesn't quite do what you expected, but it's amazing how quickly you can integrate a complex database into a site, with full control of insert/update/delete and displaying the data in whatever way you want. I had a pretty complex, full featured database with a nice web-front-end up and running in a few hours. I'd estimate that it would have taken me at least a couple of weeks to code the same from scratch.

It's basically a bunch of PHP classes (which it calls a 'transaction engine') and code generating plug-ins that auto-generate PHP/Javascript in your existing pages and link it all up. It has a few other timesavers, like a visual SQL builder and some decent form widgets that you can throw into your pages (e.g. auto-completion, a nice date picker etc). The code it generates is pretty easy to pick apart after you get used to their style, which makes it easy to integrate into your own CSS scheme.

It's a little pricey for a Dreamweaver plug-in at $299, but if you do a lot of hand coded database work like I do, I'd certainly recommend taking a look it. I'm normally very cynical about code generators, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the Developer Toolbox so far. You can get a free 30 day trial via download from Adobe.

gray · 14-08-2007, 04:31

You can download frameworks for free such as CodeIgniter - Open source PHP web application framework is that not the same thing?

2Dfruit · 14-08-2007, 15:00

yeah, i have the older version "kollection". Once you get used to it life becomes so much easier. To make a complex cms system, it's about 90% the program and the rest is a small bits of coding here and there. The code is always clean..adobe/macromedia didn't make this product remember. I would seriously recommend this product.

Snowshiro · 17-08-2007, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by gray

You can download frameworks for free such as CodeIgniter - Open source PHP web application framework is that not the same thing?

Yes and no. The main differences as I see it would be:

CodeIgniter only supports PHP (ADDT supports PHP, ASP, Coldfusion)

ADDT is capable of quite complex database driven development with practically no coding knowledge. A graphic designer could create a pretty good dynamic site with a database back end, without ever leaving design view. I'm not suggesting this is a good approach, or 100% flexible, but it is entirely possible.

ADDT keeps your tools in a single environment if Dreamweaver is your tool of choice. The menus, control panels etc. are all integrated into in the Dreamweaver workspace.

But that's not to take anything away from CodeIgniter which is a perfectly good framework.

09-08-2007, 07:24	#1 (permalink)
Snowshiro Will work for Marmite Join Date: May 2007 Location: Sapporo, Japan Posts: 574	Adobe Dreamweaver Developer Toolbox Started using it on a project yesterday. It's aimed at speeding up a lot of the tedious but necessary stuff we often code from scratch when developing PHP/MySQL driven sites (although it also supports other technologies). It's a bit fiddly at first and sometimes doesn't quite do what you expected, but it's amazing how quickly you can integrate a complex database into a site, with full control of insert/update/delete and displaying the data in whatever way you want. I had a pretty complex, full featured database with a nice web-front-end up and running in a few hours. I'd estimate that it would have taken me at least a couple of weeks to code the same from scratch. It's basically a bunch of PHP classes (which it calls a 'transaction engine') and code generating plug-ins that auto-generate PHP/Javascript in your existing pages and link it all up. It has a few other timesavers, like a visual SQL builder and some decent form widgets that you can throw into your pages (e.g. auto-completion, a nice date picker etc). The code it generates is pretty easy to pick apart after you get used to their style, which makes it easy to integrate into your own CSS scheme. It's a little pricey for a Dreamweaver plug-in at $299, but if you do a lot of hand coded database work like I do, I'd certainly recommend taking a look it. I'm normally very cynical about code generators, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the Developer Toolbox so far. You can get a free 30 day trial via download from Adobe.

14-08-2007, 15:00	#3 (permalink)
2Dfruit Biscuit Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Ireland Posts: 954	yeah, i have the older version "kollection". Once you get used to it life becomes so much easier. To make a complex cms system, it's about 90% the program and the rest is a small bits of coding here and there. The code is always clean..adobe/macromedia didn't make this product remember. I would seriously recommend this product. __________________ "Get out of my face!" "NO! I'll get in your FACE!"

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

14-08-2007, 04:31	#2 (permalink)
gray i still want paying Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: newcastle, uk Posts: 4,728	You can download frameworks for free such as CodeIgniter - Open source PHP web application framework is that not the same thing?

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)