Studio MX Mac (Flash MX, Dreamweaver MX, Fireworks MX, Freehand 10, Flash Player 6)

Integration between the individual products is generally very good. It begins with the interface, which uses common elements such as dockable, collapsible panels and a dynamic property inspector, so that you can switch comfortably between products. On a technical level, the key feature is round-trip support. You can embed Fireworks graphics and Flash movies in Dreamweaver pages without losing any information, so that you can later reopen an element in its original application with all its features intact.

The MX range differs from earlier Macromedia products by targeting application development as well as design. For this you need to build on a Web application server, such as the bundled ColdFusion MX, or one of the other supported platforms including ASP, ASP .Net, PHP or any Java Enterprise Edition server. You can connect to databases through JDBC, OLEDB, or .Net data providers, depending on the server platform being used. Dreamweaver MX is more developer-friendly than previous versions, with an enhanced code editor incorporating many of the features of HomeSite, Macromedia's code-centric Web page designer. Although ColdFusion MX has its own tag language, called ColdFusion Markup Language, it generates Java code that can be deployed on any of the leading Java application servers. This also enables Java developers to extend ColdFusion with custom tags and components. In effect, the combination of Dreamweaver and ColdFusion provides an easy way into dynamic, Java-based Web development. As an alternative to ColdFusion, support for Microsoft .Net is a little less comprehensive, but still good, and includes visual designers for the key ASP .Net server-side controls.

Application development is not just a matter of server-side scripting. Flash MX also has potential as a rich client, with an interface driven by embedded Javascript. Through a technology called Flash Remoting, Flash MX has support for Web services, and the Studio bundle makes it relatively easy to set up ColdFusion to supply Web services, and Flash to consume them. While it may seem strange to think of Flash as a rich client moving beyond the Web page, it does make some sense when you consider that it is cross-platform and very widely deployed. In addition, ColdFusion itself can consume Web services hosted on other platforms. Taking everything together, Studio MX is an essential development tool for ColdFusion as well as a great bundle for any Web designer. --Tim Anderson

Work in a familiar, customizable environment with consistent user interface elements, including colour management, drawing tools, code editing, a common Property Inspector, and panel management, all making it easy to move between the applications. Create each element of the Web production process including graphics, laying out HTML pages, coding application logic, building rich, user interfaces, and assembling complete solutions all in one suite.

Take advantage of drag-and-drop visual tools and components, code libraries, and extensive code editing support for developing applications using HTML, XHTML, XML, ColdFusion, ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, or PHP. Use pre-coded HTML objects, Flash components, and complete templates to create or customize the Web solution that best suits your needs. Download additional templates, components and extensions, or write your own to increase functionality. You can even install third-party add-ons and a full documented set of APIs letting you customize and enhance all the products in Macromedia Studio MX.