Are there any third party tools to help with CDML creation?

Home Page does not offer much.

e.g.

A drop list of field names from the database, to quickly create form, or links?

(I am using the fmpro web companion)

This is exactly the sort of convenience that the "FileMaker Connection Assistant" offers, and it's part of HomePage 3. From the File manu choose "New..." and select the assistant from the list.

The pages that the assistant makes are not especially beautiful to behold (IMHO) but they are fully functional and a great start. I usually build a set with the assistant then modify them to look better.

On tyhe other hand I have a couple of sites up that use the pagesd with almost no changes whatsoever. YMMV.

I have used the connection assistant, but it is VERY limited, and a "one shot" wizard.

(you can't read the names of any related fields, since the field names are too wide to fit in the dialogs)

I am looking for any third party solutions that would help to quickly edit an existing web layout.

PS maybe a HomeSite Plugin?

Not that it is exactly what you are looking for but I use Home Page with the FileMaker Pro assistant to build the initial site with all of the CDML intact and then I open the pages in Dreamweaver to do all of the graphic layout work. Dreamweaver doesn't mess up the CDML and that is where I add any javascript. If I need to tweak the CDML I go back to Home Page. So far that system works pretty well for me.

Thanks for the feedback

Did Dreamweaver or GoLive ever add the CDML plugins everyone was talking about?

My problem with the assistant is that it creates code for FM version 4. Is there an upgrade?

No, HomePage 3 is officially dead. However the CDML it generates works with FMP5 -- FMP5 is just FMP4 plus a few extra refinements. None of the refinements would appear in the basic format files that the Connection Assistant generates anyway.