Guide to HTML Editors and Web-authoring Packages.

tutorials4u.com

Home HTML Tutorial

Tutorials

T171 News. Tips

1 Required Programs

2. First Web Page

3 Page Appearance

4 Colour RGB System

4a Colour Names

5 Tables

6 Graphics

7 Linking.

8 Lists

9 Meta tags

10 Frames

11 Uploading

12 CSS

13 Scripts

14 Site Promotion

15 Site Design

16 Forms

99 Web Glossary

Information

Recommended Books

Editors and Authoring

Hosting

Link to us

Search engines

Useful Links

Software

Webmaster

Tools

Templates

HTML Editors and Web Authoring Packages

	Page Contents
	Introduction
	WYSIWYG
	Which Editor Decision Time
	List of Web-Authoring Packages and HTML Editors
	Macromedia Student Studio 8	The Student discount package.
	Windows Notepad	Free with Windows. Hard work hand coding
	Note tab Lite	Free Download. Hand coding made easier with tag insertion features.
	HTMLGate Premium 9.0
	Front Page	Not recommended for T170 and T171
	Word	Not recommended for T170 and T171
	Arachnophilia	Free.
	Namo Web Editor	WYSIWYG Editor

Introduction

HTML code that you write to produce a web page is only a text file and can be written in the simplest of text editors such as Notepad, which comes as part of Microsoft Windows.

In text editors such as notepad all the code must be entered either by hand or copied from tutorials such as this and pasted into the text editor. This is called hand coding and an excellent way of learning how to write the HTML code.

Life can be made easier for the programmer by using better editors or Web-authoring Packages, which will automatically insert HTML code for you, this is often achieved by selecting an icon in the editor. Students using these better editors or web authoring packages should ensure that they look and learn the code produced automatically by the program.

In theory it is possible to create an excellent web page or site using these packages, without understanding any HTML code. In practice, from time to time, things do go wrong and you are required to go into the raw source code to rectify the problem.

Search this site for a word or phrase. Place phrases inside "double quotes"

WYSIWYG

WYSIWYG pronounced Whissy Wig. This stands for What You See Is What You Get

This means that you are working with a representation of the finished page as it should appear in a browser.

Representation

I say representation because additional information is often included on the WYSIWYG screen such as dotted lines for tables without a border.

Should Appear

You will soon learn that each browser displays a lot of the code slightly differently. Some browsers will not recognise code that is specific for another browser. Because of this your page may work in one browser and be a total mess in another. The most popular browser is IE versions later than 5.5 followed by Netscape later than 4. You should at least check your page(s) in both these browsers.

Because of the popularity of IE your pages should look good in this browser, and be acceptable in Netscape.

Which Editor Decision Time

Before choosing an editor you may like to consider the future and answer the following.

I want an editor just to do a course such as the Open universities course T171 - Then all you need is a free or reasonably priced Editor. Unless you are familiar with some editor which you would like to continue with I recommend you try Netscape Composer.
I wish to produce web pages/sites for other people or gain knowledge in the use of one of the top products. - Then you need one of the top authoring packages. I recommend Dreamweaver MX for this. Because you are a student and at this stage not producing commercial sites look into the student licence for Macromedia MX Studio. Dreamweaver MX is part of this package. Details below .
If you are going to do an Open University course requiring web pages to be submitted then you should be aware that Word and Front page create problems with the Open University ETMA system. There are work around's if you really know what you are doing, but I recommend that you follow the OU's recommendation and don't use these products.

List of Web-Authoring Packages and HTML Editors, and useful information on them

Netscape Composer

This is a free HTML editor available within the Netscape browser, which is available from Netscape as a download, or can be found on many magazine cover disks.

This editor is used in the T171 course. It works on the WYSIWYG principle. In the 1002 course the version used was 4.6. In this version you could view the source code but not edit it. This made correction of minor faults very difficult . Basically you had to delete the faulty area in the WYSIWYG mode then redo the correct way.

Studio 8 Student & Teacher Edition (Includes: Flash Professional 8, Dreamweaver 8, Fireworks 8, Contribute 3, and FlashPaper 2)

Open University students are eligible for this Macromedia student licence. Basically you purchase a slip of paper and to prove you are a student or teacher it has to be signed by your regional office, college etc. You then posted the signed paper to Macromedia. The software is recieved a few days later.

Web authoring, Graphics, Flash and more.

Student Price Guide: Vast savings

Macromedia 8 Educational is a combined application at a student licence price.

Platform: Windows / Macintosh

Delivered FREE in the UK when you select Super Saver Delivery.

The package contains the following top applications:

Dreamweaver 8
Fireworks 8
Flash Profesional 8
Contribute 3
FlashPaper 2

student licence Eligibility: This bundle is available to all students enrolled in a school, college or university, on a full-time or part-time basis, attending courses that award qualifications recognised by the Department of Education & Employment in the UK and the Department of Education in Ireland. The bundle is also available to all teachers teaching in schools, colleges or universities.

Note that the student retail product does not contain any software. Each product contains an order form, which you fill out and post to Macromedia together with proof of your eligibility. When your eligibility has been approved, the manufacturer will dispatch the software directly to you. There is no upgrade path from this Studio MX to any individual components upon release of new versions. The product is not for commercial use.

Studio 8 Student & Teacher Edition
Latest price and additional information from Amazon

Studio 8 Full price Non Student version
Latest price and additional information from Amazon

Macromedia Worldwide Store

Top Books for featured programs

<table border='0' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='120' height='632'><tr><td><map name="boxmap11"><area shape="RECT" coords="31, 583, 88, 596" href='http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=2' target=_blank alt='Information'><area coords="0,0,10000, 10000" href='http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect/026-6581792-9412467?path=tg/browse/-/468294&tag=smallm206andtheo&creative=@CCMID@&camp=@CAMPID@&link_code=@LINKCODE@' target=_blank ></map><img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/G/02/associates/recommends/120x632.gif" width=120 height=632 border="0" usemap="#boxmap11" access=regular></td></tr></table>;

Windows Notepad

Simple Text Editor. Included with Microsoft Windows

Note tab Lite

Good award winning Text Editor with HTML tag insertion. Free

Extracted from there site: The ultimate free Notepad replacement and a handy HTML editor. Handle a heap of files with a tabbed interface. Search files, strip HTML tags and format text quickly

http://www.notetab.com/

HTML- Kit

A great HTML editor free download from:

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/

HTMLGate Premium 9.0

Price Approximately£9

http://www.mps.uoe.org

Front Page

Front Page is available as an individual program or as part of the Microsoft Office 2000 premium package. Microsoft Office 2000 premium is also available with a student licence discount

The code produced by FrontPage is not standard and not all hosting services are able to host these pages. If you use FrontPage then ensure your host allows FrontPage

This program is NOT recommended for students studying course T170 and T171

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word can also save documents as a web page. Unfortunately the code produced is very verbose and would probably confuse you. For this reason I can not recommended this program for producing Web pages. Can also cause problems for students on courses T170 and T171 Some of the better Web authoring packages 'Clean up Word HTML' facilities.

Arachnophilia

Highly praised FREE HTML editor

http://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia/

HTML kit

Very good reports on this

Non WYSIWYG Editor

Has a good preview mode. Pick the browser to preview in.

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/features/

Namo Web Editor

WYSIWYG Editor

The Namo Web Editor has appeared on several magazine cover disks. The Editor has a WYSIWYG interface, allowing you to see each web page as you build it, making it easy to create web pages. Just type in text as you would like it to appear, and use the built in tools to improve the appearance with graphics and design features.

www.namo.com

HTML-Kit

FREE, lots of facilities. Highly recommended

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/

Top of Page

Leisure Time - book your holiday or flights with our UK sponsors

			Last minute	Save 10%
Book a Thomas Cook holiday	Book a Thomson holiday	Book a Portland Holidays Direct	Last minute	Save 10%

Thomas Cook flights	Thomson holiday flights	Flybe Cheap flights	British Airways flights	My Travel flights