In the early days of the Web, most authors used simple text editors to create Web documents; now a large number of new tools are available that make Web authoring easier. Web pages are files formatted in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). HTML files are text files with markup "tags" that tell the browser how to format the information as it is received from the Web server. You can view the underlying HTML code for any page using most browsers. In Netscape 3.0, simply click on this frame or page and select "Frame Source" from the "View" menu. In Microsoft Explorer choose "Source" from the "View" menu. What you will see are the text and markup tags that make up this page.
Many first-time Web authors would prefer not having to learn the HTML coding language and instead create Web documents as easily as they can create word processing documents. Fortunately, many HTML authoring tools, or "editors", have come on the market to make the Web author's job easier. As is the case in the browser market, improvements in HTML editors are occurring at a rapid pace. It is difficult to determine which product will eventually contain the best set of features. The most popular HTML editor is BBEdit, which is available for the Mac in both a commercial and a freeware "Lite" version. The major cross-platform products available now are Claris HomePage, Adobe PageMill, Netscape Navigator Gold and HotMetal Pro 3.0. The major Windows-only product is Microsoft's Frontpage.
The October 7th issue of Web Week contained a survey of the thirty-nine largest Web design firms. Approximately 64% used Macintoshes to create the majority of their Web content, while 23.1% used Unix systems. Of all the Web design firms, 17.9% used BBEdit for HTML editing, while 12.8% use their own custom created tools, and 10.3% used PageMill. Most high-end Web authors feel that the current crop of editing tools don't support all the HTML extensions they need or are limiting in some other way. These authors feel that they still need to be able to edit the raw HTML code directly to achieve the look they want.
The major problem is that current editors do not allow you to create documents which will look exactly the same in the editor as they do in the browser. What people want is an HTML editor which gives you "What-you-see-is-what-you-get" or WYSIWYG editing.
There are three reasons why HTML editors are not true WYSIWYG editors:
BBEdit:
BBEdit is a high-end text processor used by both Web authors and
programmers. It is currently available only for the Mac, but a Windows version is
in the works. In addition to having powerful text editing features, it also has a
large number of features for creating HTML documents, available through buttons on
a floating palette. To make some text bold, simply select the text, click on the "Style"
button and choose "Bold." BBEdit will insert the HTML tags required at the
beginning and end of your selection. Unlike Claris HomePage or Adobe PageMill, BBEdit does not
contain its own Web browser. You need to use it with the browser of your choice.
The standard procedure is to open your browser and BBEdit simultaneously, markup your text, press "Command-S" to save, click on your browser window to bring it to the foreground and press "reload." This reloads the page and allows you to view the changed page as it will actually look in the browser of your choice. The process is much easier and faster than it sounds and it avoids the problems with several of the near WYSIWYG editors that might interpret HTML differently than either Netscape or Explorer. The problem with some of the near WYSIWYG editors is that after designing your page in their environment you find that it does not look the same in Navigator or Explorer. The advantage of BBEdit is that it allows you to incorporate the latest HTML extensions and create documents that look as you want them to look in Navigator or Explorer. It also lets you run a "Find and Replace" process over an entire collection of Web pages. The disadvantage of BBEdit is that it requires you to be familiar with HTML.
Claris HomePage and Adobe PageMill:
For some Web authors the best choice is a
combination of tools. In my experience the fastest way to create decent looking
tables is with Claris HomePage, which is available for both the Mac and PC.
HomePage allows you to create tables easily, which is difficult to do in raw HTML.
Incorporating graphics is also much easier with either Claris HomePage and the soon-to-be cross-platform Adobe PageMill, since both allow you to drag and drop graphics and text from your word processor or graphics program (such as Illustrator or PhotoShop) directly on to the Web page you are developing. In this simple process, HomePage and PageMill automatically convert non-Web file formats to standard GIF or JPEG files. They also have the ability to create transparent and interlaced GIFs.
If you need to do low-level tweaking of the HTML, the current version of Claris HomePage will let you edit the raw HTML. Soon-to-be released cross-platform PageMill 2.0 will also let you edit the raw HTML. And if you wish, you can bring your Web pages created by either Claris HomePage or PageMill into BBEdit for final tweaking or to incorporate the latest in HTML extensions.
Netscape Navigator Gold 3.0:
One would have expected that Netscape Gold 3.0 would be one of the best editors available;
however, it lacks the ability to use several of Netscape's own HTML extensions like frames,
and its editor offers only near-WYSIWYG.
HotMetal Pro 3.0:
HotMetal Pro originated on the Windows Platform, but a Mac version has recently been
released. Of the Windows editors, HoTMetal Pro 3.0 seems to get the best reviews. Users
of the Mac version are also very impressed. It allows you to edit both in WYSIWYG mode
as well as gives you access to the raw HTML for fine tweaking. It also includes graphics tools for
enhancing GIF images. HotMetal Pro 3.0 works under both Windows95/WindowsNT and now Mac.
Microsoft FrontPage 1.1:
Microsoft FrontPage 1.1 is available for Windows95 and
WindowsNT. More than a simple Web editor, it also incorporates some site
management tools. I will not discuss these features, since they are more
appropriate for a separate overview of site management software. Like Netscape's
Navigator Gold, Frontpage fails to support some of Microsoft's own HTML
extensions, but it is likely to improve rapidly and will probably become the
editor of choice for sites running WindowsNT servers.
In Summary:
As in the current browser wars, several companies are trying to quickly grab market
share in the HTML editor market. It seems as if few of the WYSIWYG editors will
be able to add the latest HTML extensions quickly enough to keep the most serious
Web authors happy. This group will probably continue to use a combination of
enhanced text editors and a WYSIWYG editor.
On the Windows side, Microsoft's FrontPage has the tremendous advantage of being a Microsoft product which will work well with its servers and Office suite. Adobe, which has long dominated the graphics market with PhotoShop, Illustrator, and PageMaker, is likely to put up a serious fight for a chunk of both the Mac and PC HTML editor markets.
According to Dennis Backus, a Technical Product Manager at CNN Interactive, one of the most popular sites on the net, 98% of their facility consists of Macs, and their current editor of choice is BBEdit. Dennis is now in the process of evaluating new WYSIWYG tools to streamline the production process, and allow writers and other members of the team to contribute more easily.
At this particular time, I feel that the combination of excellent HTML, graphics and multimedia tools available on the Mac make it the best choice for creating Web content, and many of the decision makers for the largest and most popular Web sites have come to the same conclusion. My current choices for the best HTML editors are BBEdit, Claris HomePage, and HotMetalPro 3.0. The rapid improvement in HTML tools promises that vendors will continue to better each other's products. The beneficiaries of this intense competition are Web authors, who see improved products appear on the market monthly.
It is also important to note that a new line of products are appearing on the market that will serve as both Web authoring tools and website management tools. These products will be reviewed in a future overview.
Articles on Web (HTML) Editors:
MacWorld [June 96]: BBEdit
MacWorld [March 96]: Adobe PageMill
MacWeek [6.22.96]: Claris HomePage
MacUser [October 96]: PageMill Under WYSIWYG Attack
PC Week [9.18.96]: HTML editing tools are strong point of Golive; HomePage is friendlier
PC Magazine: HoTMetaL Pro 3.0
PC Magazine: Microsoft FrontPage
HTML Guides:
Beginner's Guide to HTML
Guides to Writing HTML Documents
Yale C/AIM WWW Style Manual
Composing Good HTML
HTML Syntax Checkers:
UniPress' WWWebLint Checker