HTML Editors

Many WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editors are available (e.g., Dreamweaver, Frontpage, Claris Home Page or Adobe PageMill, both for Windows and Macintosh). You may wish to try one of them until you learn some of the basics of HTML tagging. WYSIWYG editors let you design your HTML document visually, as if you were using a word processor, instead of writing the markup tags in a plain-text file and imagining what the results would be. But it is always useful to know basic HTML tags to code a document even if you are using a WYSIWYG editor, in case you want to add HTML features that your editor doesn't support.

To make very good sites, one must know HTML tagging. There are many good HTML editors out there. Any text editors can be used to make HTML pages. There are people out there making HTML pages on Notepad! But for us lesser mortals, it would help to have some software which will aid us in this mission. Some examples for famous HTML Editors are: HotDog, 1st Page etc. The editor you chose will greatly reduce the time and headache of making a site if it is chosen correctly.

The features that one must look for in a HTML editor are -

• Syntax Colouring The syntax highlight must be comprehensive and understandable. The software I use, 1st Page, gives red color to anchors, pink color to image tags, green to table and so on. Other softwares are not so comprehensive. They give one color to the tags, another to the attributes etc. They can also be used, but as a rule, the more colours the better.
• Ability to preview One must be able to preview the document within the software without spending the time to launch the Internet explorer. If it can change the resolution of the screen to see how it appears in other resolutions. It must be also be able to preview the file in a browser if desired.
• Some WYSWYG components The editor must be able to show the fonts to chose, image settings etc. in the WYSWYG way. 1st Page has WYSWYG components for many things like images, table creation, link addition, fonts choice, Instant etc. which makes programming much more easier.
• Comprehensive Help Instant help must be available for all tags within the software. The documentation on the software also must be good. In 1st Page, one can get help on any tag by placing the cursor on the tag and pressing 'F1'.

Please note that this list is not comprehensive and many features/problems were left out.

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Some good Editors (Non WYSWYG)

1st Page - My favorite editor.
Pros :

1. Good Syntax Highlight.
2. Better Interface
3. Has many quick tools like Tidy Html, Source Compressor, Source Format And Fix.(Also internal file viewer with picture viewing ability.)
4. Has wysiwyg components table creation, Image adding, Font, Javascript etc
5. Great help files(about HTML elements)
6. Has 3 different interface (Easy, Expert, Hardcore)
7. Can store codes for later use
8. Has a big collection of javascript codes that you can use
9. Has Spell Check, Thesaurus, Real time spell check
10. Open files and folder easily by use of favorites
11. Can preview in different resolutions

Problems :

1. No Drag and Drop of files to open
2. Many bugs
3. No Updating
4. Poor documentation(About software)
5. Can't View many windows together
6. No Macro or Recording

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Crimson Editor
Pros :

1. Fast Loading
2. Can add many tools and help files

Problems :

1. Not a Html Editor. More of a text editor.
2. No WYSWIG Components
3. No support for html components

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EditPlus
Pros :

1. Fast Loading
2. Codes can be stored for later use
3. Any tag can be used from a side bar
4. Can add many tools and help files
5. Costimizable Keyboard Shortcuts

Problems :

1. Not a Html Editor. More of a text editor.
2. Can't link a file in html(One must type the file location manually)
3. Not Free

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Code-Genie
Pros :

1. Very compact
2. Small loading time
3. Programmable Syntax and support
4. Even though a text editor we can program it to get all HTML elements

Problems :

1. Must program all we want
2. No Spell Check
3. Not Free

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AceHTML
Pros :

1. A unique feature called Code explorer
2. Syntax checker and Evaluator
3. Has wysiwyg components table creation, Image adding, Font, Javascript etc
4. Has a big collection of javascript codes that you can use

Problems :

1. Big Loading time
2. Slow Software

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HTML-Kit
Pros :

1. Lots of options
2. Has wysiwyg components table creation, Image adding, Font, Javascript etc

Problems :

1. Slow Loading