CNET Editors' review
If you dislike that achy, bloated feeling that other HTML editors can give your computer, KompoZer may be the freeware cure you're looking for. An open-source Web development tool built on the NVU architecture, KompoZer aims to improve upon the NVU's bugginess.
It does a fairly admirable job of that, while not being bloatware. Major editing buttons live on the top three-tier toolbar, including a one-click Publishing icon as well as one-clicks for Image insertion and Table and Form creation. Font tweaks like Size and Style live in toolbars just below that, making for easy HTML editing. A Site Manager, including File tree, is anchored on the left, although it can be collapsed, and the WYSIWYG standard means that KompoZer can compete more than adequately with other, better-known editors.
Currently packaged with Portable Apps, KompoZer's exposure seems to be growing. While this is a good thing, the program lacks a certain finish, potentially making it visually unappealing to "professional" users. Judging from the smooth, bug-free way KompoZer tested for us, it's definitely aiming to play the same tune that its competitors are.
Publisher's Description
From KompoZer:
Kompozer is an open source web development tool built on NVU. The project strives to fix bugs in the NVU project and added new features to it. Both the HTML editor as well as the CSS editor has so far be fixed and updated as part of the Kompozer project - and many more changes are scheduled. Apart from that the main feature set is exactly as in NVU. And one of the most important features is still that editing take place in WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) mode allowing you full control of layout as you work with your web design.
Version 0.7.10 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
What's new in this version: Version 0.7.10 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
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All versions:
3.8 starsout of 72 votes
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Current version:
3.7 starsout of 48 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Great editor easy to use"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
Much easier than Adobe, great for beginners.
Cons
can be a little sluggish
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"Good for beginners"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
Easy to use; although no HTML knowledge required, basic HTML knowledge is good.
Cons
As you are not using HTML code to do any work, just type, it doesn't help beginners get used to using HTML code.
Summary
I think i will continue to use this to help me with any HTML work that I have to do. It is easy to use and once you get used to the basic layout and structure, it works well.
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"Good HTML editor and publisher"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
You can create clean, simple websites fairly easily.
It's free.Cons
Kaze seems to have gone away - no updates since March of 2010. Anyone else out there in the community working on it?
It gets confused fairly easily - starts doing weird things. (Easy to work around.)
It gets confused if the source is all jammed up with too many tags.
You need to know that you EDIT on your local disk, and PUBLISH to your host, and all the details involved - it's not magic.Summary
This does a really nice job of creating and supporting simple, clean websites. I've created and maintain four or five websites, some with many dozens of pages.
Kaze (the main contributor) hasn't released anything new since March of 2010 - about a year and a half ago as I write this. I hope he's OK, and I hope someone picks up the fork and continues development! The world needs it.
Through trial and much error, I've learned how to "publish" pages to my host. It's a little non-intuitive, but once you get it, it's robust.
KompoZer gets confused frequently - a couple of times a night when I'm actively maintaining or developing. If it gets at all weird, just save your work and restart the program. I think only once did I lose more than a few minutes of edits.
KompoZer also will get confused by too many tags, especially in stuff you've cut and pasted from Word. I've been able to go in and just clean up the HTML by hand (in the code view), and then it's clean again.
I have been able to teach my wife to use it too - she's game for anything, but not a techie. She now regularly maintains the website for her classes herself, including adding new pages, bringing in pictures, formatting the text, etc. Very cool. -
"It's a good program"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
The HTML Tags is a great feature on this program. You can load a page from the internet too and click the HTML Tags and it will Tag MOST of the stuff on that page.
Cons
It's just a little buggy starting new pages while working on another.
Summary
This 0.7.10 version Kompozer is pretty easy to use, even for a semi newbie like me. I found it was buggy when I tried to start a new web page while I was working on another. Sometimes it would load a new page to start up with and sometimes it wouldn't. The other bug I found was when I was in source mode. The other page tabs disappeared. Other than that little bug, it seems like a really good program. I would recommend downloading this and giving it a try.
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"Best WYSIWYG Web Editor Ever Made"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
Works great for the experienced Web Designer. Can bounce back and forth between WYSIWYG and html. Have been using for years and have yet to see any better software
Cons
Lack of improvements or added extras over many years.
Also occasionally stops working properly once in a blue moon and You have to close & reopen.
Some trouble when adding some scripts ie Youtube videosSummary
An awesome program for the Pro Webmaster and the newbies as well.
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"2 months and it didn't work"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
Free, free, free
Cons
Been trying for 2 months and can't get it to work with Freehostia.com Don't know if it is freehostia or Kompozer. But I was using FrontPage on freehostia before and it was working.
Summary
Wasted my time
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"One of the best free products for a newby."
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
Simple, very easy easy to use, user friendly enough for beginners.
Cons
I had problems with it changing and adding code. At times would totally reformat my page. I probably confused it with incorrect code.
Summary
While I'm new to creating web pages and writing HTML I'm totally satisfied with KompoZer. It was highly recommended by the author(s) of this web page building class I'm taking, so I tried it, and I liked it!
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".EXE file won't open"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
It certainly sounds like a good product
Cons
When I double-click kompozer.exe, nothing happens. And yes, I unzipped it.
KompoZer's website wasn't helpful. I tried joining their forum but they haven't vetted my registration. Since it's a free product, I can't complain (much).Summary
Frustrating! If anyone has any bright ideas I'd love to hear them.
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"never could get it down loaded"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
nothing i wouldn't recommend it.
Cons
something isn't free when you waste an hour tring to get it to work
Summary
crap
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"One of the greatest products I use"
Version: KompoZer 0.7.10
Pros
It is a simple program when you get the hang of it. I simply love it.
Cons
I don't think i have found any, but for the FTP part. It is limited in what it can do.
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