Favourite Web Editor

[greyshade]

started out with good ol' Notepad, and that's where i'll always come back to, when things don't seem to be going right - it's actually saved the day for me more than once. i think internalizing the basics, and actually getting your hands dirty (like the D-I-Ys of old) helped me a lot even after i started using WYSIWYG editors like Dreamweaver.

it's not unlike the several new DTP programs in the world of print. the menu-driven 'point-click-sick' features have spawned a host of johnny-come-lately "grrr..aphic designers" [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img] who cannot/will not appreciate the finer points of the good old truly 'cut-and-paste' (not Ctrl-C; Ctrl-V) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Erik Heyninck]

I started as a newbie in webdesign a year ago and they recommended me FP2000. Although it is not so childish as some other MS stuff, I did never really like it, and the more I learned about HTML (I'm not a specialist, but one does need a firm basical knowledge of it)the less I liked it. But, nested tables etc seemed me too complicated (although I'm Flemish, I cannot write my own language without mistakes, so...) so I now bought Dreamweaver4. I find it easy to use as, having bought it at midday, and doing the tutorial in the afternoon, the evening I was already making my own pages in it. And HTML'ing is easy in it.
Still, this is a personal choice, and I can well imagine that someone else will easier follow the design structure of some other digital architects team, be it Adobe or Microsoft or whatever. Congratulations to you who work in notepad, although I must admit that I get the feeling that it is like taking the stairs when there is also an elevator nearby.

ERIK [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

[This message was edited by Erik Heyninck on January 11, 2001 at 10:54 AM.]

[Jen Worden]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Congratulations to you who work in notepad, although I must admit that I get the feeling that it is like taking the stairs when there is also an elevator nearby.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

However, when the elevator breaks and you're on the 22nd floor and you wanna go home, you still need to know how to use those stairs. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

cfn ... Jen
Jen Worden
Web Developer
www.meadoworks.com

[greyshade]

Hi jen,

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>However, when the elevator breaks and you're on the 22nd floor and you wanna go home, you still need to know how to use those stairs. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

i couldn't have said it better.

[Erik Heyninck]

I meant no offense. Of course it's great to be able to work in a situation with minimum "comfort". It must feel like programming. Of course it is not because there are cars that one does not have to use one's own legs. Of course society tends to make us trust in too much comfort.
But working only in a minimal text progamme, not even using Homesite or eq., seems to me, in my limited knowledge, taking big risks in forgetting tags, writing mistakes in complex situations etc. When you can do that without making mistakes, you deserve a statue in Silicon Valley. I couldn't.
And therefore, knowing my limits, I trust in my WYSIWYDG.
Apologies. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[This message was edited by Erik Heyninck on January 13, 2001 at 05:25 AM.]

[james_frost]

I'm a developer by trade, but seem to find myself writing more and more HTML these days.

I actually use a program called MultiEdit for most editing tasks (including HTML) - it is amazingly customisable and very fast (if you have lots of time to sit down and configure it). It has all the things you need (colour coded tags, regexp search/replace, macros, highly customizable etc etc). I think UltraEdit is a little cheaper and potentially a little more intuitive though.

I have used the cursed FP before and hated it (especially the 97 version which was a real pain). I had a dabble with DreamWeaver and found it intuitive to use but haven't had the chance to look at it properly.

I also use Visual Interdev for some things (which is especially good for scripting etc)

One thing I have seen recently is the new .NET product, which has autocomplete on all HTML tags, basically meaning you type the first few letters of the tag and it gives you a dropdown list of the available matches, and once the tag is there, you get the same for each of the attributes available to it (no more searching books/online help to find that elusive attribute). Its awesome, and potentially will wrangle its way into the next Front Page, which may mean I might start taking notice of it again!

(and I still end up using notepad as well, 'cos its the only thing available on all machines!)

James

[Jen Worden]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I meant no offense.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Erik, no offense was taken!

I have found, however, that while I fully accept that WYSIWIG's are here to stay - and WYSIWYW's (What You See is What You Want) are a vital part of my work, those that don't understand the basics of HTML will eventually have problems. Finding those errant <td> tags or unclosed
</table> tags are a pain when you know what you're looking for. I can't imagine the frustration for someone who just knows that the damn page worked fine yesterday and now it doesn't! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

cfn ... Jen
Jen Worden
Web Developer
www.meadoworks.com

[joel]

Hi Jen

My two cents for everyone--give 1st page a try--it's free! You can get it here http://www.evrsoft.com/

Regards, Joel

[quiraang]

I've probably used them all at some stage ( I started using vi targeted at Mosaic, many moons ago). Dreamweaver suits me fine (FP2k is spawn of the devil), I use DW for the basic donkey work and then flip to an external editor (freeware - PFE = programmers file editor) to do the twiddly bits.

But I guess the best editor is the one that suits you best.

Simon

[This message was edited by Simon Mac on January 22, 2001 at 08:38 AM.]

[BobS]

Since maintaining a web site is a small part of my overall official duties, I have switched to Macromedia Dreamweaver. Once getting past having all those little boxes on your screen, it is a very user-friendly program.

For hand-coding, I used to favor HomeSite (the freeware/shareware versions), but I think Allaire has made it clunky and less efficient.

Didn't I read recently that Macromedia is purchasing Allaire?