After reading the "Sneak preview article" (which is really good and informative BTW) for the upcoming MX AJAX Toolbox release, I got to looking at the Yahoo Developer Network and what really caught my eye was the YUI CSS Resources (e.g. CSS Page Grids, CSS Fonts and CSS Resets).
My idea for an extension, is to use the library to quickly generate CSS-based starting points (templates) for position and placement control. I can't tell you how many times I wanted (and needed) a quick "wizard-like :)" interface to quickly build a wire frame site for new clients to review and approve. Let's face it, all sites (for the most part) contain the same design components (header, body, footer) that get re-used and re-formatted to meet the clients needs.
It would so nice to be able to go into Dreamweaver and tell it to generate, inside the body, a tree-column CSS page with the first column at "X" number of pixels, second column at "X" and third column at, well you get the picture. Once the client approves the layout, open up the "wizard", make any necessary changes and apply those changes to the underlying CSS. One final approach would be to convert a page with the CSS applied to a Dreamweaver template (if that is your thing or your work flow). Of course, use the wizards to designate font, size, placement and all the other options for styling and since IE7 is right on the horizon, generate the hacks necessary to make the CSS play nice with IE6.X.
Benefits would be:
- consistent naming conventions, re-usable/re-skinnable framework
- a large community of developers/designers using the same CSS (which could be shared or sold in a "exchange" type of setting)
- ability to design an entire site consistent with InterAKT formatting (I'm sure you would include some standards skins with the product)
- a total integrated solution inside of Dreamweaver for design and development (Personally, I use TopStyle to layout my designs currently and then switch back to DW to implement. DW has come a long way in creating CSS, but in my opinion, it still has a long way to go.)
- I'm sure you easily expand on this list.
From what I read on the Yahoo developers site, they have a nice set of tools to help developers/designers stay consistent and on the same page to bring a site to market. You might say; "Can't you just download the tools and start using them?" SURE! , but I thought this forum is a place for your customers to bring InterAKT ideas to expand the product line and make InterAKT more money ;)
