What is your favorite HTML editor?

[Steve_S]

Introduction: Polls are not a perfect yardstick but they can lead to quality discussions. This Poll attempts to list the major tools used to create sites. It would also fit in our new Coding Forum but seems a more likely fit in this Forum because of the design considerations. Please only vote once. If you use two or more editors, please vote for the one you use the most. Please tell us why you prefer a given editor over the others. If your editor is not listed, please vote "Other" and then tell us why you use it. Details will help all of us learn.

I use Dreamweaver 4 and TextPad. Dreamweaver for it's WYSIWYG feature and common UI and integration with Fireworks and Flash. I don't like some of the proprietary technology which FrontPage uses and the zillion little files it leaves on your server. I also like Dreamweaver's "split screen" view of the code and the page for quick edits. Dreamweaver doesn't change my code like FrontPage does. I even used it to modify dozens of the vBulletin templates you are using.

TextPad is great for little snippets of HTML code and has some features that a bulky HTML editor does not. My favorites: join lines, a zillion documents open at the same time in a single window, line numbers, a fast search and replace, and compare files. I also use this tool to edit scripts.

TextPad ---> http://www.textpad.com/
Dreamweaver ---> http://www.macromedia.com/

[suresk]

DreamWeaver4

Its pretty easy to use, but also has some pretty advanced features. I like the split screen too, plus it usually doesn't change code around and add useless stuff like some other programs I know of

I also like the DreamWeaver/FireWorks integration, and the use of templates. They are a bit tough to learn, but once you do learn them, you can create some nice-looking sites in no time.

Also, it now has a nice Find/Replace features which will take care of everything in that page, or in a group of files or a whole directory even. Makes updating those ad codes or changing text ads pretty easy.

Overall, its an excellent program, I don't know what I'd do without it. I'm tempted to go out and buy another copy for my new iBook, since my PC version won't work on it There is its only downside - it costs more than most or all of the others.

[suresk]

All this talk of Notepad, FrontPage and Geocities is bringing back memories of several years ago when I first started this stuff

I remember when I first found GeoCities I was like "Wow, they just give you free space!?!".

RE: NotePad - I use a variant of NotePad - EditPad a lot for PHP Code. I don't ever use it for HTML - You can do manual editing of HTML in the panel in DreamWeaver

DreamWeaver is actually pretty smart about not making dirty code. There is also a thing you can run in it (Clean Up HTML) that will clean up any messes it did make. It makes creating complex tables a snap and is several times quicker than coding manually.

A lot of people find out I use DreamWeaver and tell me how dumb I am, I should be using NotePad and doing it "Old School". That may be fine at a geek contest for getting you a nice pocket protector or something, but in my book, if you can create a site in 1/5 of the time that looks relatively close and isn't unreasonably bloated, you're coming out ahead

Yes, DreamWeaver and others like it are expensive. But DreamWeaver has more than payed for itself by now. Also, someone mentioned its a resource hog - Pick up some more RAM I think you can get 256 MB for under $40, and that will more than do the trick. I have 768MB in my desktop and 384MB in my iBook right now DreamWeaver runs great, and doesn't slow down my system at all, even with a few IE sessions open, Outlook Express open, Excel, FireWorks, ICQ and a slew of other programs.

Just some thoughts

[suresk]

A pocket protector is a little plastic device you stick in your shirt pockets, then stick your pens in so you don't get ink all over your shirt from leaving the caps off

You can't necessarily build nicer looking sites with a WYSISWYG editor, but I've found I can do a better job with them. Also, when you use FireWorks and DreamWeaver together, you can create nicer stuff than you could before (at least thats how I was).

The main issue is time, and I guess that depends on every persons own definition of how long a page should take Also, when coding with NotePad, complex tables can get a bit confusing, I always end up with a page that looks like a 4 year old's work when I try and make complex tables in NotePad.

[WildComputer]

I use EDIT (yep the DOS program) mostly

Microsoft Developer Studio (In text mode) is nice, but I tend to kick off the editor from a DOS command line, and it takes too long to load for my taste.

So I use both

[Jan]

I use Netscape Composer for the basic outlay, and Note Tab Lite for the nitty gritty stuff like adding codes etc.

[Dave-AHFB]

Now what kind of HTML guy would I be if I said anything other than notepad

Dave

[MattC]

In every poll i've seen the best HTML editor has been left out:

Arachophilia



[edit]

Reasons: Color Syntax, fast loading, not a memory hog, extend HTML syntax coding to other languages (PHP for example) and the lovely time saving buttons

-Matt

[MattC]

Just to stir things up a bit...

Couldn't it be said that someone who uses a WYSIWYG editor(dreamweaver, FP, etc) is not "coding" in HTML? (its a markup language but you get the idea)

The code may be touched up in the "pure HTML" mode of the program but the meat of the page is being done by the editor, not the "coder".

I suppose the same could be said for C++, VB, and everything except coding to the chip itself, but lets not get into that


No one please take this the wrong way, it's just meant to stir discussion!

[MattC]

I learned HTML by correcting errors that AOLs WYSIWYG editor made

[singloon]

DW2.01/Homesite/Notetab Light

[JuTa]

My vote goes to Dreamweaver--simply the best of the crowd. It does everything I need. The biggest problem is speed and ram hoggage

In terms of TEXT editing, I'd go with Arachnophilia. It was small and had the speed and function of notepad, but also had colour coding and other useful tools. But meh, haven't used that in a while now.

[JuTa]

I agree with most of the arguments posted here on the WYSIWYG vs text issue. When I first learned HTML, I didn't have the know how to do anything special. I created http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/8973. (Please don't laugh! This was like 5 years ago, and my personal page doesn't even reflect me now! Ughhhh!!!! So ugly!!!!!!! And I can't remember my login info so I can just delete everything!!!)

Next came Frontpage, then Dreamweaver.

My little sister is trying to make her own website on the net, but she seems perfectly happy with Yahoo's pagebuilder or whatever it's called. I wish she'd try out HTML first, it really is good for just understanding what the WYSIWYG's are actually doing to your site.

But in general, I like the WYSIWYG's the most for their ability to generate tables before I can even say it. And always knowing HTML tags at late hours when my brain can no longer actively remember them all

[gallery]

I use Front Page 2000 to get a layout.
Once the layout/design is finished I only use Notetab.
Apart from that I also use my own software to maintain my HTML code on all my sites.

[AK]

EDIT is for wimps, WC - tough guys use EDLIN.