8.6. Web Authoring ToolsHTML documents are simple text files, which means you can use any minimal text editor to write them. Fortunately, there are a number of tools that make the process of generating HTML documents more quick and efficient. They fall into two main categories: HTML editors and WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) web authoring tools . 8.6.1. HTML/XHTML EditorsHTML editors are text editing tools designed especially for writing HTML. They require that you know how to compose HTML by hand; however, they save time by providing shortcuts for such repetitive tasks as setting up documents, compiling tables, or simply applying styles to text. There are scores of simple HTML editors available, and many of them are free. Just enter "HTML Editor" in the search field of Shareware.com (www.shareware.com) and wade through the results. For purposes of brevity, I'm going to cut to the chase. Windows users should check out Macromedia HomeSite. For more information and to download a demo copy, see www.macromedia.com/software/homesite/. If you're working on a Macintosh, check out BBEdit, a commercial HTML editor from Bare Bones Software, Inc. For more information and to download a demo version, see www.bbedit.com. 8.6.2. WYSIWYG Authoring ToolsWYSIWYG HTML editors have graphical interfaces that make writing HTML more like using a word processor or page layout program. So for instance, if you want to add an image, just drag it from the desktop onto the page; the authoring tool creates all the HTML coding needed to accomplish the effect on the screen. In addition to simple style and format shortcuts, many of these tools automate more complex tasks, such as creating Cascading Style Sheets, adding JavaScript, and adding PHP functionality. WYSIWYG tools offer several benefits:
On the downside, they are expensive and have steep learning curves. Some experienced web authors feel that the markup these tools spit out is not as efficient as markup carefully crafted by hand. If you are a professional web designer and developer, a web authoring tool won't excuse you from learning HTML altogether. In many cases, you will need to do some manual fine-tuning to the resulting HTML code. Some of the most popular tools as of this writing are:
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