MacRabbit (of CSSEdit fame) has loosed another version of their “vapourware turned legitimate program,” Espresso, unto the suspecting public. Version 1.1 expands on the “skeleton-like shell” of former iterations by adding several new features, a lot of polish, and some general refinements to the interface and operational program behaviour. Admittedly, I have given little time to this program in the past (yet I’ve always strangely wanted to like it, despite its many failings), as it proved to be quite buggy, and just too eclectic for my taste. However, this new iteration seems to tie a lot of loose ends together and is getting to be an attractive alternative to the already popular Coda. It generally feels a lot snappier and much more refined than previous versions. There are still some rough spots, but it’s certainly starting to come into its own. So I decided to give it a good, solid evening of testing.

So without further ado, let’s run through some of the most prolific components that grabbed my attention, for better or for worse.

The Navigator

The navigator, with its nested and collapsible tags, is something MacRabbit absolutely did right. Adapted from the popular CSSEdit, it really does make combing through your code quite less tedious. Working in unison with the code folding in the Text Editor (read below), it really does set itself apart from Coda in this respect (that regrettably behaves more like a text editor on steroids than a true, enhanced coding environment).

In addition, the tags are draggable, allowing a user to quickly reorganize the structure of the webpage in a matter of seconds. No longer does a designer have to grudgingly peruse their code. A quick scan, a few clicks, and the structure of the page unfolds before their eyes. This is something Espresso does exceptionally well and is a welcomed addition to any coders arsenal. Additionally, the structure and layout of the navigator are clear, intuitive, and well implemented.

The Text Editor

Code writing is pretty much standard in Espresso. It has all the goodies: Predictive code creation (called CodeSense), spellcheck (which needs to be tweaked as to stick to the text and not so much the code), colour formatting, and current line highlighting (which, like Coda, is implemented very poorly).

It also features code folding: The ability to collapse and expand blocks. This highly simple, yet powerful feature really does make coding a lot less manic. It greatly helps improve productivity by making things manageable. No longer does a coder have to rely on tabbing for organization. With code folding, collapsing and expanding blocks of code is a mouse click away, and makes managing lines upon lines effortless. This feature is a great addition to any web design program in my opinion and really does turn a program into a “true” coding platform, as opposed to an enhanced text editor. I’m a progressive person and see no reason why we have to continue writing code in basic document editors. We desperately need to drive innovation in this area, and I’m glad developers are starting to bounce around with various ways to improve efficiency.

The Sidebar

The workspace doesn’t actually provide tabs, but instead, merely lists items. Thus, the instruction to “drop or double-click files to open them in tabs here” seems somewhat misleading. We all know what tabs look like, yet when I propagate my workspace, I see nary a tab in sight. Either the directions need to be re-worded, or a true tabbing system needs to be implemented (I’d prefer the latter rather than the former). Or better yet, devise a system that can incorporate both listings and tabs, to circumvent the problems of “tab hell” (faced by their competitor, Coda).

Firstly, Espresso doesn’t support active scripting (php, server side includes, etc.) which is actually a pretty big failing if you typically code in something other than HTML/CSS. It took several version for Coda to implement and it’s still very buggy several iterations later. Hoping the guys over at MacRabbit not only provide similar functionality, but do a much better job of it.

Preview doesn’t denote what file a user is currently viewing. An entry in the workspace entitled Preview pops up; however, no clear identification is made between which file is actually being previewed. Moreover, each preview adds another listing under your workspace. In fact, Espresso really suffers from exploiting the sidebar with superfluous listings, or rather entries that perhaps should be presented to the user in other ways. Previews, for example, could be made visible by using an icon rather than a brand new entry in the workspace (similar to the “blue dot” that identifies when a file’s changes have not yet been saved). This would prove to be a much more logical and less intrusive way of handling the task.

Remove Server Settings from the sidebar. Considering the settings are made available using the standard right click (on the server of choice), the extra listing seems rather like an oversight or a bug than an actual, legitimate entry. System settings of any kind should not be mixed with concrete listings (such as user files or in this case, designated servers). Again, we have needless entries in the sidebar.

My biggest criticism of Espresso is certainly the haphazard way the sidebar has been implemented (this version is said to improve on previous versions, which actually frightens me to think what preceded it). A user can select an item from the files list and begin to modify its contents. Once a change is made, the respective file propagates into the workspace listing. I am, however, at a loss why this is the case. Would it not be easier to identify the file using an icon that its contents have been changed (which Espresso currently does) and leave it at that? What benefit does a user gain by propagating the workspace section (other than having newly modified files listed at the top of the sidebar)?

There is, however, one benefit from adopting a list view over a true tabbed system: It remains usable even under heavy file load. Coda’s traditional tabs quickly become irritating and cumbersome to use when multiple files are open. As the tabs compensate by incrementally getting smaller, they also become less and less functional. Organizing the files in a list does workaround this problem, albeit it does suffer from its own set of drawbacks (viz., an unintuitive feel). But ultimately, I am still left wondering why my files are moved up into a workspace? Navigating a list hierarchy doesn’t seem to be a problem, not enough to warrant such a quizzical approach to organizing currently modified files.

The sidebar is basic and tries to keep things simple, but often fails by inexplicably listing items whenever the program wants to communicate with the user. This implementation is either unintuitive to downright senseless. This area is by far the most crippling component of Espresso and is probably the area that needs the most refinement and attention. Sadly, it also draws away from all the things Espresso does so well. It also doesn’t help that the sidebar is probably the most interfaced component of the program, thus increasing its prevalence.

Find in Project (New Feature)

The Find in Project feature is done quite well and certainly deserves a notable mention. It is snappy and lists results using site structure, something that really helps identify location at but a glance. The Coda guys could learn something from this way of implementing find and replace. It is clean, intuitive, and feels quite snappy.

Conclusion

Espresso is becoming one to watch. If I was not already immersed in Coda, I may consider migrating, but at this point, it’s just too early to make the move. However, the new features in v1.1 really brings things together. It still needs work, mind you, and there exist elements that certainly need to be rethought entirely, but at least it’s progressing, and I’d say a solid contender (albeit it a little steeply priced) for anyone shopping around for a design program on the Mac OS X platform.

We’ll see if the updates steam along, or whether the project gets “shelved” again (from my understanding this program is maintained by students, which sadly means time is not usually a luxury). Time will tell. While it may fall short in its current asking price, it seems like the team is at least on the right track. Let’s hope they devote more time to getting this program up to snuff; choice is always a good thing.

I’m sure I haven’t covered everything Espresso has to offer, but it should give you a rough idea of what you can expect from this web development program. Hit up MacRabbit and have yourself a look. You have a 15 day trial should you wish to do your own testing.