 Choose Your Tools
Choose a web editor
There are many great tools on the market today for creating
and editing web sites. In general, you can split up most web
editors into a "code-only" category or a "WYSIWYG"
(what-you-see-is-what-you-get) category. Code-only editors allow
you to edit HTML code and start from simple text editors such as
NotePad to more complex editors that have color-coding to help
you view the code better. WYSIWYG editors usually have modes
where you can view the code, but also work with your site in a
more graphical, intuitive interface, where what-you-see is
roughly what-you-get. Usually you don't need to know HTML code
in order to use WYSIWYG editors, although we recommend that you
pick up some basic knowledge as you use them.
If you're looking at this web site, you're probably already
using or are interested in using FrontPage. This next section
may not be relevant to you, but it's still helpful to look
over...
Code Editors
Pros - Usually less expensive, complete control
over code so very flexible
Cons - Must learn how to code HTML and supporting code
like JavaScript - see our
learn more article to find out more about learning HTML
- NotePad
If you're trying to save money, NotePad is free and
cheap and comes on your PC. All you have to do is create a
page with HTML code, save your page with an ".htm" at the
end of the file name (like "my_file_name.htm"), and you have
an instant web-page that can be opened in a browser such as
Internet Explorer!
- TextPad (www.textpad.com)
Free download evaluation copy, and if you decide to buy it,
it's fairly cheap. The interface is nice and HTML is
color-coded (syntax-highlighting is the technical term),
plus there are lots of great tools for naming/renaming
files, switching between open files, and formatting code.
WYSIWYG Editors
Pros - Usually more intuitive to use, and can have
a more "visual" representation of what you're working on; builds
a lot of the code FOR you; helpful when learning HTML
Cons - Sometimes generate code that is not very "clean"
- Microsoft FrontPage (www.microsoft.com/frontpage)
Fairly intuitive interface similar to other Microsoft
Office programs, but still has a learning curve if you're
unfamiliar with web editing. While the current version is
pretty good, the new version coming out in summer of 2003
integrates an easier code-editing interface similar to
Dreamweaver. There are tons of resources and web templates
for FrontPage, many which you can find on our site.
- Macromedia Dreamweaver (www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/)
Easy to integrate Flash, good editing tools, with a bit of a
learning curve.
Choose an Image Editor
If you're going to be making your own web site(s), you will
need some kind of image editor to create web-ready graphics,
whether those are photos, illustrations, or text-headings. While
there are some free tools available, most are limited. It's a
good idea to invest in a quality image editor.
- Adobe Photoshop Elements (www.adobe.com/products/photoshopel/)
An affordable spin-off of Adobe Photoshop with the features
that most non-professionals are interested in, at a sixth of
the price of Photoshop. Photoshop might be too
powerful, so consider this great alternative.
- Jasc Paint Shop Pro (www.jasc.com/products/psp/)
The word on the street is that this is good for basic and
advanced users, and comes with more features and
functionality than Photoshop Elements (for about the same
price!). However, it's not the easiest to learn how to use -
you'd probably actually have to read the documentation.
- Ulead PhotoImpact (www.ulead.com/pi)
Not as advanced as the other two, but supposedly easy to use
and to learn.
Choose an FTP client (not necessary for FrontPage users)
You may not need this! You'll want to check to see if your
web editor allows you to FTP or "publish" your web files to a
server. FrontPage and Dreamweaver have this built-in, but if
you're using NotePad or some code editor that doesn't have this
function, you'll want to get an FTP program as well. The FTP
program will help you to connect to your web server so that you
can put your web files online.
Windows Explorer can also act as an "FTP client," if you're
looking to save money. Simply type in
"ftp://your-ftp-host-domain" in the explorer bar. You may be
prompted for your username and password. Once you've connected,
you can upload by dragging and dropping. (To learn more, look up
"FTP using Windows Explorer" in a search engine.)
However, most people prefer an actual FTP program for an
easier-to-use interface. Below are some examples of FTP
programs. We use FTP Voyager, but probably any of them are good.
Next: Choose Your Template |
Back
up to Articles
