It seems to have been in beta for a very long time, but, at last, HTML and CSS editor TopStyle 5 finally is released. And there’s a very lengthy list of new features to explore.
Strong CSS3 support, for instance, now makes it easy to create one stylesheet for large displays, perhaps, and another for mobile devices. A CSS Gradient Generator means you can use gradients in CSS3, no images required; you can add text shadows in a couple of clicks, and the new Prefixr handles the tricky business of converting your tidy CSS3 code into something which will work on all the main browsers.
Support for HTML5 has improved considerably, too, thanks to a new HTML5 definition, while a capable HTML5-only validator quickly checks the quality of your code.
A new HTML Structure panel displays a high level view of your current page editing position in terms of HTML tags, allowing you to jump to some element with a click – a great way to simplify navigation in lengthy pages.
Need to add an image map? You can now do it from TopStyle 5′s built-in image-map editor. Just draw hotspots with the mouse, and the program will generate the appropriate code when you’re done.
You’ll have to preview the results to be completely sure all is well, of course, and as previously, the program can display your project in IE, Firefox or Safari. But TopStyle 5 also adds Google’s Chrome to the mix, installing the necessary files automatically (you don’t have to have Chrome installed already for this to work).
And so it goes on. TopStyle 5 adds new support for CSS groups, for instance, making it easy to organise your CSS selectors into a neat, folder-based layout. While the program’s CSS Tidy tool can then scan your CSS code to optimize and clean up your code.
A new property editor provides built-in support for adding and configuring Google’s Web Fonts.
The Color Contrast Analyzer accepts a foreground and background color, then lets you know whether the combination would provide enough contrast to be readable by someone with color vision problems.
And aside from the pure web development additions, there are plenty of helpful new features elsewhere, from SFTP support to the program’s ability to create a version backup every time you save a project.
TopStyle 5 represents a major upgrade, then, and if you’re looking for an HTML editor then it could be worth a look. The program can be yours for $79.95, and a limited trial version (with a maximum of 2 style definitions, and a comment added to every page) is available now.
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