well i code mostly by hand, but still use dreamweaver as a visual editor, because im a visual person. It's just easier for me.

Just because you use dreamweaver to code doesn't mean the code is automatically shitty, as long as you know your xhtml and css.

Dreamweaver - depending on the version - does support CSS layouts although it tends to position elements absolutely which can cause some havoc. Version 8 (the latest) is actually a very good piece of software.

I use Photoshop for creating the design, TextPad to code the site and Firefox to view my work. The Firefox web developer toolbar extension is a must have for any web developer as well.

I use EasyEclipse for coding and Photoshop for designing. I like Dreamweaver too, but I've had some difficulties with UTF-8 in it.

If I understood your questions correctly, it sounds like you want to learn XHTML and CSS. If that is the case, then I would suggest you start learning XHTML first by coding manually in either Notepad or HTML Kit before you learn CSS. (I prefer TopStyle Pro.)

tables are old now, and you can design entire websites with a table! Dreamweaver only uses tables right? is it already obsolete?
I'm not sure I understand...are you still planning on designing web pages with tables?

Nifkin, thanks for the link on Apanta - seems very good, I will try it.

Nifkin, thanks for the link on Apanta - seems very good, I will try it.

Under the hood it's 99% identical to the EasyEclipse releases. It just scales back some of the nerdier control buttons that a front-end coder wouldn't probably need.

(I've touched plenty of random stuff in my day but I, personally, have never thought "gee, I wish I had a 'restart tomcat' or 'run ant' button right here next to 'save file'" before.)

Don't misunderstand the recommendation to use DreamWeaver -- you are still basically hand-coding, just with-in a nice application's GUI interface.

I like dreamweaver because of the many faetures tied into it, FTP, browser/accessibility testing, managing files, coding shortcuts. However being that said i also have a full understanding of xhtml/css and can and do use notepad if i need to develop site if i'm out of town and dont have my computer or access to a computer with dreamweaver on it. I also use photoshop/illustrator to create graphics, but i also use fireworks to create the mockups. very much like mrinlgein said, you can be a serious coder using dreamweaver (if you know/understand the code if you didnt have dreamweaver) but have the nice GUI and utilize many of its features to save time and make the project more manageable. The nice thing about dreamweaver is you are just starting out, is it is a great learning envuroment. You can use the designer view to layout your page then look at the code to learn from what you just did. hen as you advance you customize the code view to your liking and be a serious coder Dreamweaver is the most popular amoung pros for nothing.

I like eclipse, but it's a resource hog.

I go with Photoshop for sketching and creating the images used for the website.
Then I code in DreamWeaver 8, not because of its many tools and stuff, but mostly for coding easily. I like being able to see the website while I code (thought it's far from WYSIWYG). The best thing about it is that you can easily browse through the tags.

Photoshop
notepad++
Firefox with web developer extension (for CSS)

Yupz.. same with others fellas,
I ussualy use photosop for layout and design
then macromedia dreamweaver for xhmtl/css/php/mysql scripting

for color picker, I used pixie..
Pixie is a small application for get colour (hex/rgb) colour information from pointer
we just pointing the colour area with the mouse and pres ctrl alt c to get the data
and paste it to text editor, and we will see FFAA33, 0000AA etc

Just thought I'd throw my opinion into the ring on this one.

I've been working pretty closely with a good friend on adjusting his print design skills to suit web design and site development.
One of the big recurring issues has been how to design web sites that are going to rank highly on Google.
So, with that in mind, we've focussed on creating sites that are built around content first and design second.

My tendency is to design first and create content second, so I've also had to adjust to this way of thinking.
I found this article useful because it outlines the issue quite simply. And it's definitely something to think about as you dive deeper into the ocean of web design and development.

Happy swimming!

I'm sure you know by now that you just have to sit and try a few of these tools and see which you're more comfortable with.

If you are serious about learning to code, then you may want to familiar yourself with W3C's website.
More specificly HTML 4 Tags, and XHTML Specifications

You should not think of tables as being outdated, no matter where you hear it from. Tables, just like any other HTML tag have their place and time. Whether they are used to provide structure or to format data.
I personally find the use div's and tables invaluable for both. It is up to you how you use them.

Note:
If you are going to use Dreamweaver or a text-editor, have someone on hand who can help you, this will cut out on the frustration.
Preview your pages in Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Fire Fox.
Following W3C's specs will NOT insure the page will look the same in all browsers.
Try coding a page with Notepad2 or Notepad++ to get a feel for hand-coding, you'll have to sooner or later.