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In Xara Web Designer (XWD) you create designs/layouts using a vector based drawing program. You can add textareas, images, buttons, navigation and other web related elements. XWD automatically creates the HTML content and the relevant graphics. It is a cheap, easy, effective and fast tool for static webpages building!

As with all other programs some of the features need to be twisted to create the result you want. For instance if you need text to be placed on a graphic element without the text turning into graphics. The file here shows and instructs you how to achieve this.

If you do not already have a copy of XWD, why not try the 30 days free trial version? (even if the product is priced at a ridiculous cheap price of £ 39!).

The product has a great forum where you can discuss the product, read how-to, see what other are achieving and so on. It is placed a talkgraphics.com.

Here is the example: avoidTextBeingConvertedToGraphics.web

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So you are a creative mind? You dont know much about the tags of HTML and the nature of a webpage? But still you would love to just design your website and voila! put it on the web – as a valid HTML based page, not flash, not an image! The answer is here: Xara Web Designer

Xara Web Designer (XWD) is a very cheap application which fills the gab between designing websites and creating them in HTML. The idea is that you design your site with graphics like buttons, text-areas, menues and graphics. When you are done you simply publish the site to HTML!

The HTML code generated is valid HTML – using CSS to reproduce your (complex) design from the vector (!) based Xara Web Designer application. I myself am a frontend developer and I love to handcode HTML, CSS and javascript (ok, I said it!), so I know about validation of those elements. XWD published HTML is job well done IMHO!

Inserting dynamic elements
One thing which I specially like is the ability to insert placeholders in your design. You can then embed HTML/Javascript/CSS directly in your design. When the site is published the placeholders will contain your code – allowing you to have semi-dynamic contents in your website design.

How to do it?

Well you simply add an area and right click it.

Choose “Web properties…”.

Click on the tab “Placeholder” and select “Replace with HTML code”

Now paste your html into the textbox – voila!

Examples

QR code – information embedded in machin readable 2D barcode
Imagine that you put a small barcode on your webpage, this barcode contains your contact information in a graphic 2d barcode called a QR Code. Your cell phone and other applications can then scan the barcode and save this information about you (and your website)
Try embedding this in XWD:
<img src="http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chl=Xara%20Ltd.%2C%20Gaddesden%20Place%2C%20Hemel%20Hempstead%2C%20HP2%206EX%2C%20United%20Kingdom&cht=qr&chs=110" />

A You Tube Video
Ofcause you can also embed a You Tube video!
Try embedding this into XWD:
<EMBED src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mb-ylTDHn44" width=425 height=350 TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></EMBED>

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