Kompozer: Web Kompozitions

Anyone embarking upon his or her (or her or his, whatever you like) first journey into the jungle that is web coding may find all those HTML tags and CSS attributes and javascript actions as intimidating as lions and tigers and bears. Well, that's understandable. Basic HTML is one thing, but utilizing html, css, and a multitude of other scripting languages to create a page design that looks and does exactly as you imagined it is a truly meticulous task. You have to make sure every tag is closed, all your table columns are in table rows in the proper tables on the proper levels, etc. Hours of coding may subsequently lead to hours of a web author screaming at the screen "Why are you not doing what I want you to? Why do you hate me so much? What is the meaning of life?"

While I can't help you with the occasional existential crisis, I can help you with some of those anticipated frustrations in the realm of web building. KompoZer is an open-source web authoring program that comes with WYSIWYG editing. Fun fact for interested parties: WYSIWYG is an acronym that stands for "What You See Is What You Get." This means that you are able to insert nifty tables or images or links and the like and see how it appears on the page and then edit accordingly. For more experienced web builders, I will note that some tasks are more frustrating on the Preview/WYSIWYG page, and I've often found myself editing the coding directly instead to get exactly what I want. Also, the CSS editor is handy, but it requires some knowledge of CSS attributes first. (For CSS novices, here's a great list of resources to check out!)

In terms of the evolution of open source programming, KompoZer is a rather interesting case study, at least in my opinion. It stemmed from an older web authoring open source program known as Nvu. As with any software, Nvu had plenty of flaws and lots of bugs meriting a great deal of fixing. Since the source was available, developers used it to create a new software that integrated these fixes and made further improvements to the program. The developers also had to use a new name for this shiny new web editor for reasons explained on the official website, as quoted below:

Because « Nvu and the Nvu logo are trademarks of Linspire Inc. »
As Linspire stopped the development of Nvu, there is no legal way to correct any bug in Nvu.

This isn't to say that Nvu has gone kaput. It's still available. If you're looking for consistent improvements to source code, though, I'd go with KompoZer.

For those whose editing needs call for tweaking of .PHP files and the like, KompoZer is unfortunately not ideal. Still, there's a multitude of open source text editors available out there that help you avoid having to tweak complicated codes in Notepad. The one I use is ConTEXT. Though, I should note, Context is not open source. Yet. Plans are in the works to release the source code to the public at some point. Details about this certain point are currently vague, as with most promises involving the word "soon" or "eventually." Context is still freeware, fortunately. Plus, its features are very friendly to different types of languages and scripts, specifically the syntax highlighting feature. (For those who don't know what this is or why it would be useful, then it probably wouldn't be useful for you anyway. For what it's worth.)

Here's a quick list of some actual open source text editors, for anyone interested: jEdit, Notepad ++, along with a rather full list here.

VLC Player: The V Stands for "Versatile"

Okay, so, the V doesn't really stand for "versatile." It may as well, though. VLC Player (whose acronym actually stands for VideoLan Client -- an outdated title) comes with a rather tiny user interface. Don't let that fool you, though. This media player can do many, many things. (And, in case you haven't gotten the hint: it's free and open sourced.)

For rundowns on various features of VLC, you can check out VideoLAN's main site. In my own net browsing experiences, I've seen most VLC recommendations associated with its ability to play a multitude of various video file formats. Not only can you use it for your DVD player on your computer, you can also use it as the video player of pretty much anything.

Windows users may be familiar with launching Windows Media Player only to be told that you are lacking the appropriate "codec" for the file you are trying to play. For those who are not fans of technical territory, all you need to know about a codec is that it is something used to encode a video file, usually for the benefits of compression rates to make smaller files. Actually, that's more than you need to know. (But if NBC's classic PSA campaigns have any truth to them, that's okay.) The point: VLC won't pester you with such messages. It comes with all those nifty codecs. It's just that awesome. And considerate. (And it probably doesn't even hear "Thank you" that often. I know, I know, it's a crime.)

Mac won't find the VLC Player useless, either. Formats usually restricted to Windows platforms, such as .WMV, aren't Quicktime-friendly. But you know whom these file formats are friendly with? If you guessed VLC Player, you're right!

I've been emphasizing VLC's input and viewing capabilities for the most part. In my experiences with the program, I do think that these features are the best part about it. VLC does offer quite a bit in other departments, but I usually use other programs for these jobs. Still, those wishing to stick to one program for simplicity's sake may find VLC's multi-puprose quality worth noting.

VLC Player can also handle converting files into new formats, or even just grabbing the audio off of a video and turning it into an .MP3. Some people also use VLC for screencapping purposes. For those unfamiliar with the term, screencaps are image snapshots or 'captures' from a particular frame or frames of a video.

As with all software, VLC isn't flawless. The conversion and screencapping features I just mentioned haven't always met with the greatest success, especially when compared to other programs with similar functions. My main choice for conversions is the program SUPER, which is freeware but not open source. Two other programs good for conversions, but especially for screencapping, are VirtualDub Mod and Avidemux.

If you're really just into a good multimedia player, though, VLC Player will be perfectly apt for your needs.