Friday, March 29, 2024

Looking for a Text Editor?

Need tools for creating pages
but don’t want to go WYSIWYG?
-Read on!


Essentially, there are two ways you can put web pages
together. They can either be hand-coded, meaning that the
writer/programmer writes out all the HTML code, JavaScript,
etc. by hand, or generated, whereby a generator program of
some sort is used, such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage. The
latter, by the way, also includes all the "WYSIWYG" (What
You See Is What You Get) editors like Microsoft Word or
Publisher along with the various "wizard" type generators
that generate a finished page based on a series of questions
(these are often "features" buried in other programs, though
they can also be stand-along programs.)

The task of creating pages by hand coding can become quite
complex. Hard core hand-coders develop working techniques to
assist them in this endeavor that frequently involve the use
of advanced text editors. If you’ve tried to use Notepad for
this you’ll know that it requires remembering the fine
points of the syntax you need and having a very keen eye to
spot those typos.

My particular favorite editor comes from Ian Mead at IDM
Computer Solutions. inc. (see
http://www.idmcomp.com)
and is known as UltraEdit. My good friend Scott Clark, a
very accomplished webmeister, favors Notetab Pro from Fookes
Software (see
http://www.notetab.com
) These are both terrific products
and sold at bargain prices. Which one to choose is strictly
a matter of personal preference. I suggest you download and
try out both, then buy the one you favor.

What sets these products apart, for our purposes, is that
they recognize web programming language formats, syntax,
tags, etc. and display code in a variety of colors to depict
the nature of the code elements. Simply stated, HTML code is
in one color, JavaScript in another, comments another and so
on. They have tag lists that enable you to select a tag by
name and insert the code where you need it. For example, if
I look at the HTML tag list and select Table, I get
<TABLE></TABLE> inserted where my cursor was when I clicked.
The list serves also as a reminder or prompt of the tags
that are available to you.

UltraEdit recognizes a lot of different programming
languages and can easily be extended to understand more. I
find this to be an advantage as I use quite a variety
myself, but can continue to use the same tool. UltraEdit and
Notetab both have excellent global search and replace
capabilities that con work on a single or on multiple files.
This is very convenient when you have to track down all
references to a URL which has just changed, for example.

There are, of course, a great many other text editors out
there. Each one has a group of loyal followers who will
expound the virtues of their own favorite. The fact is,
familiarity has a lot to do with it. If you are familiar
with a particular text editor, that is a good reason to
stick with it. If, however, you find it lacking in some
particular features, then I recommend you consider one of
the above editors. Some of the other editors readers have
written to HTML Goodies about include:


Text Editors allow you to "Save As" using a variety of
filename extensions. While exact mechanisms vary from editor
to editor, the basic principle is that you choose File /
Save As and type in a filename and extension or type the
filename and select the extension from a drop down list.
Notepad assumes you want to save a text file (filename.txt)
unless you put double quotes around the name ("filename.html")
Recent versions of Notepad also allow you to Save As, select
All Files from the file type drop down and type in any
extension you want (without the double quotes.)

Also note that you can configure which text editors to use
in your browser. In the Internet Explorer (v 5 or 6) you go
to Tools / Internet Options / Programs and select which
program you want to use for an editor. The same applies to
FrontPage (Tools / Options / Configure Editors) and most
site management products.

Mac users can take advantage of BBEdit from Bare Bones
Software (
http://www.barebones.com
). This is a full featured
editor and is the hot favorite among Mac users.

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