Overview of Adobe Contribute

Adobe Contribute is a web authoring tool designed as a cheaper and easier alternative to Adobe Dreamweaver. Like Dreamweaver, Contribute is a client-side tool (i.e. it must be installed on the user's computer rather than run from a web server).

Contribute is targeted at non-programmers and those who do not want to deal with the finer intricacies of web design. It is primarily a WYSIWYG tool with simple wizard-like features. Although websites can theoretically be designed from scratch using Contribute, this is not really the intention. Contribute is intended more to edit existing web pages.

Contribute is very useful for collaborative environments, with more than one person working on the same website. Together with Dreamweaver's management tools (such as templates and the check in/out system), websites can be designed to allow easy and safe editing by multiple users.

History

Originally developed by Macromedia and launched in 2003, Contribute was acquired by Adobe in 2005. The current version, CS4, was released in 2008.