If you'd like to create/maintain a website, having some HTML knowledge is necessary in order to create a standard page on the web. Learning the HTML basics is easy and should take less than an hour.
First you'll need some type of software/editor to create your html pages. Here's a few to try out (or not) and see which you feel most comfortable with.
Editors for Hand Coding:
(http://www.notepad.org) Notepad - This easy-to-use HTML editor is FREE (for Windows version 2.0 and above). If you are interested in learning how to code by hand then this editor is highly recommended. It is not cluttered with tons of features and is handy for all scripting languages, html, perl, php, etc.
Advanced Source Code Editors:
These editors are similar to Notepad by allowing you to create your webpage via hand coding, but they help to speed up the process of coding by hand with features such as syntax highlighting, spell checking, global find/replace, code libraries, code snippets, file explorers, page previews, and much more. Ideal for all scripting languages.
(http://www.alleycode.com) AlleyCode - This award winning HTML editor is fast and comes with many great features. You can view your progress in real time using it's Synchro View feature. Another great editor if you want to learn to code by hand, comes with handy code snippets. Supports all scripting languages. Alleycode is FREE!
(http://www.evrsoft.com/download.shtml) 1stPage - This html editor comes packed with many features you won't even find in the high-priced editors, and it's free. This editor is perfect for everyone, from novice to expert. Some of it's features include, 400+ javascripts, 15 dhtml scripts, 17 perl scripts, 6 html scripts, 2 cgi scripts.
(http://www.macromedia.com/software/homesite) Macromedia HomeSite - $99 (Free 30-day trial). HomeSite provides a lean, code-only editor for web development. Advanced coding features enable you to instantly create and modify HTML, CFML, JSP, and XHTML tags, while enhanced productivity tools allow you to validate, reuse, navigate, and format code more easily.
WYSIWYG: (What You See Is What You Get) I do not personally recommend using these. Reason being that the code can be messy, unnecessary tags can get put in, and most importantly, the code will NOT be valid. Valid code is important for a properly functioning, SEO-friendly webpage. Once you learn how to hand code you can use these editors to save time and just go over the source code and clean it up to be sure it's valid.
WYSIWYG is a type of editor/software which allows the user to see the web page as it's being created. In other words, you can drag and drop images exactly where you want them, place text where you want it and not really have to deal with the code side of creating a web page.
(http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver) DreamWeaver 8 - Free to try; $399 to buy. Generally known as the best of the WYSIWYG editors. Comes with an easy to use interface, expanded CSS support, background FTP.
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010858021033.aspx) FrontPage 2003 - 30 Day Free Trial, $199 to buy. While being a popular choice and commonly used, FrontPage is also known to produce bloated, messy, invalid code, you're best not to use this program. Features include the ability to upload your web site without requiring an FTP program, hit counters, feedback forms, and more.
(http://www.adobe.com/products/golive/main.html) GoLive - $399. AdobeŽ GoLiveŽ CS2 software lets you unlock the power of CSS with intuitive visual tools such as prebuilt CSS objects that you can drag and drop to build sophisticated sites. Jump-start your designs by easily converting Adobe InDesignŽ layouts into Web pages. Or, design Web and mobile content in an advanced, standards-based coding environment.
To learn HTML it's best to make use of the tutorials offered at such sites as (http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp) W3Schools and (http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/authoring/html_basics) WebMonkey. That's how I learned. Also be sure to check out these excellent HTML resources, (http://www.websitetips.com/html) Website Tips and (http://www.htmlgoodies.com) HTML Goodies. To do the HTML tutorials I would advise using Notepad or one of the advanced source code editors listed above.
Colleen Chard is a professional web designer based in the greater Toronto, Ontario Canada area. She has been designing websites since 2001 and runs her own online business Kalina Web Designs, http://www.kalinawebdesigns.com. Colleen is also the webmaster of many other web sites including Directory Source, http://www.directorysource.info, and Apex Templates, http://www.apextemplates.com.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
I've written about META tags in the past, and I... Read More
Regardless whether you manage a small business, charitable organization, or... Read More
Well, a logo for your business. Why is it important?... Read More
There is unlimited possibilities when it comes to designing a... Read More
(1) Create a Direct Response Website, with the minimum number... Read More
Seeing is believing.One trick to increase your visibility as well... Read More
The internet is full of web design companies pleading for... Read More
The "Wow" factor that accompanied the introduction of streaming media... Read More
One of the most frequent questions I get asked about... Read More
First you need original content. Content is the heart beat... Read More
Designing your own successful web page can seem difficult and... Read More
Web advertising has taken many forms, including those that appear... Read More
Web usability is perhaps the most important factor in any... Read More
Ecommerce is just exploding right now on the Net. More... Read More
If you have a business, big or small you may... Read More
On the internet we don't deal with face to face... Read More
Your website is your tool for showing the online community... Read More
1. Use .gifs rather than .jpgs. GIFs are smaller in... Read More
Marketing is not an easy skill to acquire.It requires patience... Read More
Most of us know that we need to advertise our... Read More
1. DO NOT use excessive graphics or banner images on... Read More
Designing your website can be a difficult task especially if... Read More
Dear web site visitor.I can't tell you how glad I... Read More
Audio can provide an added dimension to your site. It... Read More
The following list of websites is the best compilation of... Read More
To explain my point I need to first confuse the... Read More
Creating your own website is great fun! But how is... Read More
Public domain gives you a head start creating ebooks, ecourses,... Read More
This article is the result of a conversation I had... Read More
Have you seen Jesse James on the... Read More
10 Ways Web Site Text Can Impact Your Reader's Buying... Read More
If you are designing a web site for which the... Read More
The concept of web designing based on the nature and... Read More
Usability isn't only for Web design. It's also applicable in... Read More
CNN.com's designers have gone out of their way to make... Read More
Everybody talks about the importance of testing your sales copy... Read More
Even after you've managed to bring traffic to your site... Read More
If you have a web site to which people pay... Read More
The "Wow" factor that accompanied the introduction of streaming media... Read More
We've all seen and read product testimonials. They're a very... Read More
Getting a customer is not easy.Getting a visitor to decide... Read More
When you start building your online business and search for... Read More
This is my second article on maximising web site viewability.... Read More
I once created a notepad-like editor. It is possible with... Read More
Being a writer, when I was asked to do some... Read More
You may not bother with html validation or writing simple... Read More
The concept of web designing based on the nature and... Read More
If there's one thing that most web site developers can... Read More
I'm sure you've all heard the saying 'Build it and... Read More
Do use a consistent look and feel Your site should... Read More
Let's face it; the line from A Field of Dreams... Read More
Read the title of this article over a couple of... Read More
Let's face it. Buying products and services from the Internet... Read More
This may comes as a surprise to you but, if... Read More
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets has opened up tremendous possibilities... Read More
Probably you know someone who has created a web site... Read More
About two years ago, I had a go at commercial... Read More
When you develop a sales brochure, you have a mental... Read More
It is common sense.The more time people spend at your... Read More
**How Colors are Used in web design:**Demarcates screen elements into... Read More
Content is the most important part of any website.The Internet... Read More
1. Use .gifs rather than .jpgs. GIFs are smaller in... Read More
You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More
If you are anything like me, your website is a... Read More
If you are reading this, I assume you either have... Read More
Novice and professional designers alike ? you may probably be... Read More
Web Design |