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HTML Editors

For editing HTML, we recommend using a text processor that makes it easier to write raw HTML rather than a WYSIWYG (or "what-you-see-is-what-you-get") editor; those editors generally produce messy HTML. You're better off (especially in the beginning) learning true HTML -- which isn't hard -- to understand basic HTML before relying on Web authoring software. That way, you know just what you can do, how you can do it, and how to resolve any problems you encounter.

Also, if you do choose to adopt a "visual" page editor once you know the basics, you'll be able to use it better if you have an idea of what's really going on under the hood.

HTML Editors: Windows 95+/NT

For Windows users, the best HTML editor we've found so far is HomeSite, made by Macromedia.
(still under $100 in Spring 2000).

Some free (or affordable) html editors:

• Amaya - from W3C, has lots of features (including spell checker) which are evolving at all times. You do not need to know HTML to use this package.
• Notepad or Wordpad - comes with Windows, must know html to use these text editors
• 1st Page 2000 (Evrsoft) (This site is occasionally unavailable) (excellent - most like Homesite)
• CoffeeCup - free trial for 30 days, around $50. User rating: Very Good

HTML Editors: Mac OS

One of the best HTML editors on the Macintosh is the Macintosh-only program BBEdit by Bare Bones Software. The free version, BBEdit Lite, is very capable as well.

For serious Web authoring (such as the maintenance of a whole site) the academic version of BBEdit is well worth the $79 upgrade cost, and with the addition of Frontier at an academic subscription price of $99, you have a completely customizable automated web-publishing system that's hard to equal on any other platform, (especially given the price; comparable systems on other platforms generally cost at least six times the $79 cost of BBEdit).

Visual HTML editors/Authoring Tools

These are commercial applications that are popular for simplifying web page creation. Easy to use and user-friendly, these products help to produce a web page more visually (closer to working with word-processor-like tools -- but produces potentially-ugly HTML). While a "tried and true" web developer knows how to code...these products help anyone put up a web page with little background knowledge to html. May produce unexpected results in some cases.

• Dreamweaver by Macromedia
• Microsoft FrontPage (Windows or Mac OS)
• FrontPage Express - available in Olin's Computer lab

Other Possibilities:

• MSWord - doesn't create the most engaging graphics or generate the best page layouts. But if you already know how to use Word, at least what you produce can go straight to publication if necessary. Rating: OK
• Search results from About.com for Free Web Design Software
• FreeSite.com lists many free html development tools, some of which are already listed here.