Arachnophilia Review

While it isn't my favorite HTML editor, Arachnophilia does offer some nice touches that make it well worth the price. Did I mention that it is free? Well, it is.

One of the top features is the program's internal browser - Instant View - which is supposed to update the preview with each key stroke. Instant View is accessed by clicking on a button that runs half the length of the screen at the top of the page. Easy to find, easy to hit.

This is the function bar at the bottom of the screen.


This shows what happens when you select multiple functions and do not close previously opened functions.

Notice, however, that I did say the updates were supposed to show up instantly; in fact, sometimes updates that were done since the previous preview were not visible without closing the program and reopening it. Therefore, by the time you close, reopen, and hit preview, it wasn't much quicker than most programs and slower than many.

The program will accept fully formatted text, tables, and outlines from any Windows 95-compliant application, most with drag-and-drop ease, and then will automatically create html pages.

Arachnophilia offers toolbars for all of the usual tasks, as well as allowing the user to define others as desired. All toolbars are accessed from - What else? - a toolbar at the bottom of the screen. As you switch toolbars you do have to close the previous one used or they will simply keep eating up valuable screen space.

As expected with today's HTML editors, there is the usual assortment of wizards to help in construction. The table wizard is superior to most, in that it allows you to choose colors for the label part of each axis in one quick move.

This is what the table editor looks like.


This is the result of using the table editor above.

Another advantage of Arachnophilia is that its built-in FTP client automatically uploads changed files, a plus for those who are changing several files in a large directory.

The program can also handle frames, cgi, perl, C++, java and javascript development; offers global search and replace; and features keyboard macros that can include system commands or other macros.

The program also allows unlimited documents to be open, with the actual number dependent upon your system's resources.

Arachnophilia's interface is functional, if not attractive, and that pretty much describes the program, too - until you consider the price. Then, it starts to look a little better.

What is it again: Arachnophilia 4.0

Where can you get it: http://www.arachnoid.com

What does it cost: It is careware. The author asks, for example, that instead of sending money that you do something positive in the world, such as encouraging a child at something. If you choose not to do so, you can still have the program for no money.

How big is the download: 1.6 MB.

How much space does it take on the hard drive: About 2.5 MB.