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Finding a Good HTML Editor
by Anthony Stai
Once you've decided to write your own HTML, and you've got some idea of
how it all works, there's one thing left to think about: which program
are you going to use to do it? While you can use programs like Notepad
or Wordpad that come with Windows, they don't have any specialised HTML
editing features, and that can slow you down more than you'd think.
The choice of HTML editors out there, though, is bewildering: there are
literally thousands. Here's a guide to things you should look for when
you're searching for your perfect HTML partner.
Syntax Highlighting.
One of the most vital features for any editor is syntax highlighting.
This means that it understands how HTML works, and will make tags a
different colour from text, making it easier for you to see what you're
doing.
You should try to find an editor that has up-to-date syntax
highlighting and checks whether your tags are valid or not. Instead of
just colouring anything you put between angle brackets, it should check
whether what you're entering is valid HTML, and warn you if it isn't
(usually by turning it red).
Another thing to look out for when it comes to syntax highlighting is
what the editor supports that you might want to use with HTML: it's
good to have highlighting for CSS and Javascript, as well as PHP or
Perl (or whatever you use server-side). Some editors mark them in the
same colour to indicate 'not HTML', while some highlight them in a
useful way – this is what you want.
Tag Suggestion.
It's good to get an editor that knows about valid HTML tags and how
they're structured, as that means it can let you know what you should
be including and let you browse through tags to find the one you're
thinking of. If you type '<form', for example, it's useful for it to
suggest that you include the 'method' and 'action' properties, as they
can be difficult to remember sometimes. Doctypes are an especially
useful thing to have suggested to you, because you'd just be pasting
them in every time anyway.
Tag-suggesting editors can often save you typing, if they come up with
a drop-down when you start typing and allow you to accept their
suggestions easily by pressing tab or space. This can speed up your
HTML editing significantly.
FTP Upload.
It will save you quite a lot of time if the HTML editor you choose has
a built-in FTP upload facility, allowing you to enter your server,
username and password, and upload the files you've just edited to the
server. If your program doesn't do this, you'll have to use a separate
FTP program and mess around finding where you saved your files.
Easy Text to HTML Conversion.
If you're making a lot of text content into HTML, one important feature
to look for is easy conversion – otherwise you'll spend a
long time putting
tags at the start and end of each paragraph.
Ideally, the software should be able to spot pieces of text that are
headings, lists and so on, and add HTML tags for you automatically. It
won't be helpful for everyone, but for text-heavy pages it's
indispensable.
You might also be able to find editors that can accept input in text
formats that aren't plain text – Microsoft Word documents,
for example – and turn it into sensible HTML.
A Few Suggestions.
Metapad (www.liquidninja.com/metapad). A good drop-in replacement for
Notepad, but lacks HTML-specific features.
SciTE Editor (www.scintilla.org) has excellent syntax highlighting,
making it easier to be sure that you're writing correct HTML tags and
you haven't made any layout mistakes.
Crimson Editor (www.crimsoneditor.com) is popular, although you might
find it a little technical. Its biggest advantage is that it has
built-in FTP uploads.
HomeSite (www.macromedia.com/software/homesite). Has good tag
suggestion features, although it might be a little bulky for some
tastes. Very good if you have trouble remembering tags.
As a final note, you might try editing HTML in the 'code view' of one
of the visual editors – Dreamweaver is especially good at
this, if you have it. This lets you switch back and forward easily to
see what effect your changes are having.
About
The Author:
Anthony Stai invites you to
take your
website to the next level. Get one of the best Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) books on the market for Free! Learn the techniques
that differentiate the amateurs from the pros. Get your book at http://www.makemoneyonline4you.com/seo.html
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