Expression Web 4, Service Pack 2 released

Microsoft has released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Microsoft Expression Web 4.

Microsoft has just released the anticipated Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Microsoft Expression Web, the company’s web authoring software package.

Expression Web SP2 offers a number of fixes, as well as adding improvements such as IntelliSense for jQuery, a new Snippets panel and behaviour, a universal comment/uncomment feature (customised for HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript code blocks) and a customisable toolbar panel.

Whilst Expression Web 2.0 will be distributed to licensed users through Windows Updates (Vista and 7), you can download the SP2 file from the Microsoft website via:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=26699 (the file is confusingly named “WebSP2_Trial_en.exe”)

If you’re unsure whether SP2 has already been installed, you can check the version number which will be 4.0.1303.0  if Expression Web has been successfully upgraded to SP2.

You can also read a complete list of the updates and improvements via Microsoft Help & Support :

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2571841

For me, installation was completed in 10 seconds. Immediately noticible for me was the new-look and much improved CSS styles panel. Instead of trying to apply CSS styles to the list of styles within the panel (white text became invisible), Microsoft has opted for a plain list with radio buttons indicating an element’s use of any style, with a preview shown below.

To preview the CSS code for a style, simply hover the mouse over it. Old “modify style” (and related functions) can still be accessed by right-clicking on the style name.

In order to customise menus (a much-requested and overdue feature), right-click on the menu and choose “custom”. A small “Edit…” panel will emerge on the menu as shown below:

Click on “Edit…” to bring up a dialogue box with menu customisation options. Users with “add-ons” (such as Ajatix menus) may need to right-click on the menu and re-activate the associated icons which will disappear after the upgrade to SP2.

A useful introductory video to SP2 is is available from Microsoft here.

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