Exposé : WebWonder
David Snell receptive to new feature requests
WebWonder developer David Snell has confirmed that development of a fifth version of his popular RISC OS website authoring package is "well advanced". He's also said it's not too late for existing users to make "new feature requests".
RISCOScode has a particular interest in WebWonder as it is the principal tool used to design and produce this webzine. In use it has proved to be robust and reliable with David never failing to provide prompt email support.
WebWonder 5.0 is not expected to be ready for release until early 2010 but RISCOScode has been given a twenty minute demonstration of the work in progress.
The first items to visually flag up 'new version' are little blue information buttons on the dialogue boxes. Hit a blue 'i' and you are taken to the relevant place in the electronic version of the manual. David states that once completed "There will be of the order of 500 references from the software to the electronic manual".
Many RISC OS users are interested in investigating their 'family trees', a desire that social networking websites such as Facebook are starting to exploit. In Qercus magazine, a series on Genealogy is now up to part 9. "WebWonder 5.0 will be able to both import and export GEDCOM files from genealogical programs from any platform. It will generate HTML record pages for individuals which are linked, not only to parents, spouses and children, but by a whole host of other relationships as well." David asked RISCOScode not to reveal too much about this major new feature. However, watching it processing a GEDCOM file is impressive. "More will be revealed closer to release."
It's perfectly possible to produce beginners' websites using WebWonder without worrying about the raw HTML code that WebWonder generates. However, as the intricacies multiply, most webmasters will want to start tinkering with the code directly whilst still using WebWonder to side-step doing the dull, routine and tedious jobs by hand. David explains; "WebWonder traditionally compacted its HTML to reduce the file size but users who prefer to do some hand coding complained that their careful formatting was being lost when a file was edited by WebWonder. Version 5.0 will allow the user to set up their own formatting rules." RISCOScode can see that, possibly, this feature will make WebWonder useful as a tool for taking the code from a website of interest and reformatting it to make it more readable. Grabbing good ideas will be easier.
In brief, further new features include; site search, site map, CSS improvements, calendar/diary assisted navigation, linked list editing, site filer type sorting and pop-up image view.
David is driving WebWonder development forward with a passion and fury that is a joy to behold.
*INFO WebWonder
WebWonder (v4.00) costs £77.30.
Order from the WebWonder website, using the clickable "Let WebWonder Grow On You" advert above, right.
David has written an article for Jim Nagel's Archive magazine on the problems of bringing context sensitive help to WebWonder 5.0. This is scheduled to appear shortly.
