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.

[Susan]

I use First Page 2000 available for free at http://www.evrsoft.com . First page is definitely an advanced editor, but has lots of options that help write the code for you. I've also been known to open textpad, netscape communicator, notepad and anything else I can get my hands on.

[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

[singloon]

DW2.01/Homesite/Notetab Light

[Jan]

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

[PWR_Paul_Banker]

I use Front Page 2k for designing pages and notepad for maintanice from that point forward.

[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.

[Bassmaster]

Dreamweaver all the way! I've tried most of the other editors. After you learn Dreamweaver it's the easiest, and in my opinion, the best. 4.0 is my preference.

[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!

[Bassmaster]

Any WYSIWYG editor will have glitches in the code from time to time. I always scan the source to pull any obvious mistakes.

Editors really just save alot of time. I'd recommend to newbies to learn to type html in notepad. After they have a very good grasp of it, and are able to notice little errors quickly, move on to a powerful editor. Which will save countless hours.

I have a couple of friends who only use notepad. Maybe I just have way too much other stuff to do.

[MattC]

I learned HTML by correcting errors that AOLs WYSIWYG editor made

[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

[gunnar]

I use Notepad. Always have.

I dislike editors because I am not in control of the code. Most that I have seen generate ugly, bloated code that is unnecessarily difficult to debug or change. A very simple layout will be coded as a table within a table within another table, and lots of stupid things like establishing the font size and face twenty times when once will do.

You almost never start entirely from scratch when you are designing a new page or site. Copy/paste from previous work, change some things, and you have a new page.