Web Page and HTML Editors
For beginners starting a website or starting HTML, choosing a suitable editor can be very confusing, as there is a lot to choose from. The first point of confusion is in understanding the difference between an HTML editor a Web Page Editor.
An HTML editor lets you create a web page by inserting HTML tags. Whereas a web page editor lets you create a web page by simply typing in the text and and selecting the formatting from a toolbar. With a web page editor you don't normally see the HTML tags unless you want to whereas with the HTML editor, you not only see them, you have to insert them yourself.
Using an HTML editor
In order to use an HTML editor you need to understand HTML (see starting HTML ). I do not recommend this option for beginners except for those who want to practice coding HTML and checking for correct HTML formatting. There are many HTML editors (mostly free) available for download on the Internet the ones I use and would recommend are:
Trellian Code Page - Excellent simply and easy to use yet powerful ideal for beginners.
CSE HTML validator Lite - Incredibly powerful HTML Editor and HTML validator
Note Tab Lite --Very powerful Notepad replacement I use for creating articles it also has HTML editing and checking .
For Beginners I would recommend you start with Trellian Code Page .
Web Page Editors
The only web Page editors I recommend are WYSIWYG editors. These editors make creating a web page as easy as writing a letter. In order to use these editors you don't need any knowledge of HTML. There are two types of editors ( my distinction) Web Page Editors like Trellian webpage and Web site editors like Microsoft FrontPage and Dreamweaver.
Using A web Page Editor
These editors are inexpensive (most free), easy to use, and incorporate most of the features of programs like FrontPage, but they only let you edit a single page at a time. Features like find and replace text over several web pages are not supported. If you rename a page you will manually have to change the links in other pages etc.
These editors are highly suitable for beginners and for simple edits of singular web pages. As your website grows ( more than 20 pages) you will probably outgrow this type of editor. That said, this page is being prepared using one ( Trellian Webpage). Once finished I will copy and paste into FrontPage and complete the linking.
The editor I recommend is Trellian WebPage which like Trellian Code page is available for free.
Web Site Editors
These programs are designed not just for making web pages but also for site management. They allow you to create site themes and to find and replace text across multiple web pages etc. They are much more powerful than the simple web page editors but are generally also more difficult to use for beginners.
I would recommend you use a very basic WYSIWYG (What you see is what you Get) web page editor like Trellian webpage at the start and then progress to using a web site editor later as your web site expands. The editors that I have used and would recommend are:
- Microsoft FrontPage --Very powerful editor and simple to use especially for anyone already familiar with other Microsoft products like Word.
- DreamWeaver-- Undoubtedly the editor of choice for most Web designers. More powerful than FrontPage and produces much cleaner HTML than FrontPage.
- NetObjectsFusion7-- Very powerful editor not as popular as the other two but probably the easiest to use for creating websites very quickly
Get Your Web Editor for Free!
Many Web hosting providers offer web editing software for free so if you haven't chosen your web hosting provider then it pays to shop around a bit.
For UK visitors 1&1 uk are offering Microsoft FrontPage 2003 free with any Microsoft hosting package and NetObjects Fusion for any Linux hosting plan.
For USA visitors 1&1 Web Hosting USA are offering NetObjects Fusion for any Linux hosting or Microsoft hosting package plan.
Online Web Page Creation
Many hosts offer on line graphical creation pages where you can create your web page using a browser. For the most part I haven't found them simple to use and they usually require a particular browser version. For the most part the pages are much easier to create than to change and usually have page limitations so are only suitable for small personal web sites.
The major exception to this however is the site Build-it package which is a complete web site building, management and promotion package. I personally use this package for one of my websites and would recommend you consider this if your plan is to build an online business not just a web site. For more information see the online builders section.
Popular HTML Editors
HTML editor helps you to create and edit web pages, and write, edit and fix a web page's HTML source code. Here are some popular HTML editor software programs, with more coming soon.
Last Update: Thursday, September 27, 2005.
| Screenshot |
Description |
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Dreamweaver MX, by Macromedia, is a web editor for creating and editing dynamic web sites as well as static pages. |
| Format |
Free Trial |
Cost |
| Boxed software / CD-Rom |
N/A |
$379.99 |
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| Screenshot |
Description |
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FrontPage 2002, by Microsoft, is a web site creation and management solution that gives you the tools you need to create professional quality web sites. |
| Format |
Free Trial |
Cost |
| Boxed software / CD-Rom |
N/A |
$146.99 |
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| Screenshot |
Description |
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WebSafe is a HTML encryptor that converts HTML web pages into encrypted code, disables the right click function, and strips unwanted tags added by WYSIWYG editors. |
| Format |
Free Trial |
Cost |
| Downloadable software |
Yes |
$49.95 |
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| Screenshot |
Description |
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WebTidy analyzes a web page's HTML code and fixes errors, replaces old, depreciated font tags with new style sheets, removes junk HTML added by WYSIWYG editors, and reformats HTML code for maximum readability. |
| Format |
Free Trial |
Cost |
| Downloadable software |
Yes |
$19.95 |
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| Screenshot |
Description |
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Dreamweaver MX-Mac, by Macromedia, is a web editor for creating and editing dynamic sites as well as static pages, for the Apple Macintosh. |
| Format |
Free Trial |
Cost |
| Boxed software / CD-Rom |
N/A |
$372.99 |
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