Webmasters use a variety of software programs (applications) to prepare content for and to publish it to the web. Here's a list of the typical tools used by MCPS webmasters.

Sites in Tron
If your site is in our web publishing system, Tron, you do not need an HTML editor or FTP client.

HTML Editor
Webmasters use this software to create and update web pages in HTML, the mark-up language of the web. You will likely use one of the following programs to work on your web site. See How To Buy Software.

• Dreamweaver (Macromedia): The industry's leading web editor and very effective for use with SSIs and the MCPS web template. Recommended by Web Services. Cost is approximately $100 when media, documentation and license are all purchased. Use current Macromedia Pricing information to order this product. more
• FrontPage (Microsoft): is no longer available on school computers starting with the computer updates in the summer of 2008 (Tech Mod FY09).

FTP Client
After webmasters create their HTML pages, they must put them on the MCPS web server for them to be viewed by Internet users. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) enables webmasters to upload/download pages from the server. You will likely use one of these tools:

• SmartFTP: MCPS Purchased FTP client. No longer available as a free download. Webmasters using SmartFTP from their home computers should contact Web Services about licensing. Download | How to Use SmartFTP
• WS_FTP: FTP client for Windows users. No longer available as free download. How To Use WS_FTP
• Fetch: FTP client for Mac users, free to education users. Download | Education License | How To Use Fetch

Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) Creation
MCPS computers installed before the summer of 2008 have the full version of Acrobat installed. Computer installed in summer 2008 or later use Microsoft Office 2007 to create PDFs.

Some documents should go online in PDF format rather than as Word, Excel or HTML documents. The document may be a form, or a printed report, or be so long that it would be impossible to convert its many pages to HTML. Not all webmasters will need to convert documents to PDF, but for those who do, the full version of Acrobat is indispensable. It integrates nicely with Microsoft Word. See How To Buy Software.

Graphic Manipulation
Photographs and other images often need to be converted to web format (.jpg or .gif), reduced in file size, or otherwise prepared for publishing on the web.
Preparing Graphics for the Web. Webmasters often use these tools:

• IrfanView (Irfan Skiljan) On all MCPS computers. Free | Download
• GraphicConverter (Lemke Software) Shareware | Download
• Photoshop (Adobe) | How To Buy
• Fireworks (Adobe - Macromedia) | How To Buy

Microsoft FrontPage is no longer available. Microsoft discontinued this product.

Adobe Acrobat, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop: MCPS has negotiated volume licensing for Adobe software including Acrobat, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop.

Dreamweaver is available at all elementary schools starting with the computer updates in the summer of 2008 (Tech Mod FY09). Middle and high schools should also have Dreamweaver available at the school.

• Adobe software price list (PDF)
• More information: Technology Products

Updated October 24, 2008 | Contact Webmaster