Those who are wondering about what Contribute is all about, for them, it is a program for maintaining websites and blogs; the software plays the role of an administration tool that allows access to specific parts of the site-template for a client website. The desktop application is currently in its fourth version and is a tool that can reduce significantly the level of expertise required for web designing.
The programs hallmark is it’s simplistic interface and it ensures the template’s appearance to stay as it is even with unlimited content input. It has now been made a part of the Web Premium Edition of Adobe’s Creative Suite 3 and Adobe Contribute CS3 has become a little more interesting from before because of a few of the newest additions while retaining the older marvels like its ability to publish from MS Office applications and browser-supported website/blog editing features. The end result is a very nice improvement to an application that already earned accolades from site administrators, bloggers and personal website owners.
It’s good to see that Adobe Contribute CS3 also pulls in Acrobat granting the application an easy PDF access; alongside, it allows a user to add customized HTML tags to every page of a website. This becomes possible since there remains present a HTML Snippet code window under the Insert menu. However, custom CSS codes are denied editing; whether it’s a bug or the way it should be shall require a little time for us to know. But anyway, the HTML snippet window is of great help when it comes to exercise extra control over a site’s overall look. The only way things can mess-up is through bad syntax, which cannot be edited after clicking the OK button. Maybe Adobe should think twice about it?
Let’s see what else does Contribute support. The list includes rich media, movies, images and Adobe Flash or .FLV files; all these can be put into a web page with the help of the Adobe Contribute CS3. The file needs to be dragged onto the page entry; after that, it is the sole responsibility of the software, which uploads, and posts the file automatically. That also applies to PDF documents that can be embedded directly into the blog entry or into a web page.
When it comes to maintain the integrity of a website, Adobe Contribute CS3 and Dream Weaver templates integrate seamlessly between themselves. The end result is an uninterrupted look and feel, even with multiple users updating the content all across a specific site. The code quality and format preservation measures to thank, precisely.
But Contribute, being a client-side tool allows editing only in PCs with Contribute installed, for which, individual licenses are required. This makes the software unsuitable for large workgroups. So think before you swipe your card for a copy; also keep in mind that it’s a web-editing tool and not meant for development. Moreover, Contribute being able to edit one page at once, it makes complex designs a hard-to-manage affair if controlled from multiple sources (e.g. database, SSI, XML). And lastly, if you are looking for a faster process, its better to go for a tool that’s meant for development, allowing multiple pages to be up- and downloaded at a time and providing access to source codes, especially if adding any third-party functions are of prime importance.