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Freeway (software)
Encyclopedia
Freeway is a WYSIWYG
web design application for Mac OS X
(older versions also run under Mac OS 9
), developed by the English company Softpress
Systems. There are two flavours of Freeway: Pro and Express, both currently at version 5. Freeway Express has fewer features and is aimed more at the amateur web designer.
Freeway is based on a pre-Mac OS X
print publishing application called Uniqorn, also developed by Softpress, but discontinued when Apple
stopped supporting QuickDraw GX
in Mac OS 8
.
The philosophy behind Freeway is that an average user is able to design websites without having to deal with any code, using an interface very similar to that of Desktop publishing
applications like QuarkXPress
or Adobe InDesign
. Advanced procedures (like connecting to a MySQL
database using a scripting language like PHP
) are done through plug-ins called "Actions". Several Actions can be downloaded for free on several websites, but there are also commercial 3rd Party Actions, like the "Auction Seller Suite" from FreewayActions.com, which allows the creation of Ebay
-friendly HTML within the Freeway design interface. Many useful Actions are bundled with Freeway, the latest set from Softpress being a suite of Actions that lets the user create a shopping cart through the popular Mals e-commerce system.
Unlike most other WYSIWYG web design applications, Freeway produces syntactically valid HTML code and Cascading Style Sheets
, making it usable in situations where valid HTML code is obligatory. For example, valid code is required by law on the majority of federal and state institutions' web sites in Germany. Versions of Freeway from 4.4 onwards also create HTML and CSS that correct many rendering problems with Internet Explorer 6
on Windows.
WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG is an acronym for What You See Is What You Get. The term is used in computing to describe a system in which content displayed onscreen during editing appears in a form closely corresponding to its appearance when printed or displayed as a finished product...
web design application for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
(older versions also run under Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
), developed by the English company Softpress
Softpress
Softpress Systems is a software publisher with its headquarters in Oxford, UK. The company was founded in 1993. Originally the developers of a print-publishing application called Uniqorn...
Systems. There are two flavours of Freeway: Pro and Express, both currently at version 5. Freeway Express has fewer features and is aimed more at the amateur web designer.
Freeway is based on a pre-Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
print publishing application called Uniqorn, also developed by Softpress, but discontinued when Apple
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
stopped supporting QuickDraw GX
QuickDraw GX
QuickDraw GX was a replacement for the QuickDraw 2D graphics engine and Printing Manager inside the "classic" Mac OS. Its underlying drawing platform was a resolution-independent object oriented retained mode system, making it much easier for programmers to perform common tasks...
in Mac OS 8
Mac OS 8
Mac OS 8 is an operating system that was released by Apple Computer on July 26, 1997. It represented the largest overhaul of the Mac OS since the release of System 7, some six years previously. It puts more emphasis on color than previous operating systems...
.
The philosophy behind Freeway is that an average user is able to design websites without having to deal with any code, using an interface very similar to that of Desktop publishing
Desktop publishing
Desktop publishing is the creation of documents using page layout software on a personal computer.The term has been used for publishing at all levels, from small-circulation documents such as local newsletters to books, magazines and newspapers...
applications like QuarkXPress
QuarkXPress
QuarkXPress is a computer application for creating and editing complex page layouts in a WYSIWYG environment. It runs on Mac OS X and Windows. It was first released by Quark, Inc...
or Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is a software application produced by Adobe Systems. It can be used to create works such as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers and books. In conjunction with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite InDesign can publish content suitable for tablet devices...
. Advanced procedures (like connecting to a MySQL
MySQL
MySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
database using a scripting language like PHP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
) are done through plug-ins called "Actions". Several Actions can be downloaded for free on several websites, but there are also commercial 3rd Party Actions, like the "Auction Seller Suite" from FreewayActions.com, which allows the creation of Ebay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
-friendly HTML within the Freeway design interface. Many useful Actions are bundled with Freeway, the latest set from Softpress being a suite of Actions that lets the user create a shopping cart through the popular Mals e-commerce system.
Unlike most other WYSIWYG web design applications, Freeway produces syntactically valid HTML code and Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...
, making it usable in situations where valid HTML code is obligatory. For example, valid code is required by law on the majority of federal and state institutions' web sites in Germany. Versions of Freeway from 4.4 onwards also create HTML and CSS that correct many rendering problems with Internet Explorer 6
Internet Explorer 6
Internet Explorer 6 is the sixth major revision of Internet Explorer, a web browser developed by Microsoft for Windows operating systems...
on Windows.