HTML editors
Some editors are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), or
close to it; others simply assist you in writing HTML by plugging in the desired
markup tags for you from a menu. The latter are surprisingly useful, and the
former surprisingly limited. As a rule of thumb, if you are keenly interested in
using the very latest new HTML feature, you will probably be disappointed with
WYSIWYG editors. Some WYSIWYG editors do support entry of unfamiliar tags,
however. A few can even display them in the color or style of your choice.
This document covers editors for the following systems:
- HTML Editor A
near-WYSIWYG package URL is
<URL:http://dragon.acadiau.ca/~giles/HTML_Editor> ). A stand-alone
program.
- ANT_HTML
- ANT_HTML is a Word for the Macintosh template designed to convert Word
documents into HTML documents in a WYSIWYG environment. It includes a demo
version of the ANT_PLUS utility, which converts HTML files to WYSIWYG.
ANT_PLUS also converts HTML files to ASCII, RTF, or any other format possible
in Word. At the time of this writing it was scheduled to have been released on
the Macintosh (it has long been available for Windows). Contact
[email protected] for more information.
- BBEdit
HTML extensions
- This package of extensions allows the BBEdit and BBEdit Lite text editors
for the Macintosh to conveniently edit HTML documents. (URL is
<URL:http://www.uji.es/bbedit-html-extensions.html> .) You can also
obtain the extensions package by anonymous ftp from sumex-aim.stanford.edu as
info-mac/bbedit-html-ext-b3.hqx. Also see below.
- BBEditTools
- There is an alternative BBEdit
extension package available as well (URL is
<URL:http://www.york.ac.uk/~ld11/BBEditTools.html> ). it is
available by FTP from ftp.york.ac.uk in the directory
/pub/users/ld11/BBEdit_HTML_Tools.sea.hqx.
- SoftQuad
HoTMetaL
- SoftQuad's HoTMetaL is a WYSIWYG HTML editor designed from the ground up
to edit HTML. Unlike HTML modes for existing word processors, every aspect of
HoTMetaL reflects this purpose.
<URL:http://www.sq.com/products/hotmetal/hmp-org.htm>
- html-helper-mode for
EMACS
- Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS
"mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/>
).
- Internet
Assistant
- Microsoft has released Internet Assistant, a Word for Windows template
which can edit HTML in a WYSIWYG manner, including the capability to load
existing HTML documents. It also includes rudimentary browsing capabilities,
sufficient to assist in editing (URL is
<URL:http://www.microsoft.com/pages/deskapps/word/ia/default.htm> ).
- ANT_HTML
- ANT_HTML is a Word template for both Windows (URL is
<URL:ftp://ftp.einet.net/einet/pc> ) and the Macintosh (URL is
<URL:ftp://ftp.einet.net/einet/mac/html-aids/> ) designed to convert
Word documents into HTML documents in a WYSIWYG environment. It includes a
demo version of the ANT_PLUS utility, which converts HTML files for
importation and further editing. ANT_PLUS also converts HTML files to ASCII,
RTF, or any other format possible in Word 6.0. Contact [email protected]
for more information.
- Quarterdeck
WebAuthor
- Yet another commercial Word for Windows HTML editing template is available
from Quarterdeck (URL is <URL:http://www.qdeck.com/webauthor/fact.html>
) and is rumored to be superior to Internet Assistant.
- HTML Assistant
- A non-WYSIWYG editor called HTML Assistant is available, with features to
assist in the rapid creation of HTML documents. A good choice for experienced
HTML authors wishing to save keyboarding time. Available by anonymous FTP from
ftp.cs.dal.ca in the directory /htmlasst/. Read the
README.1ST file in this directory for information on which files to download.
See also: <URL:http://fox.nstn.ca/~harawitz/index.html>
- Live Markup
- ( <URL:http://www.mediatec.com/mediatech/> ) is a WYSIWYG HTML
editor for Windows which insulates the user completely from HTML.
- Excel 5.0 to
HTML Table Creator
- Most HTML editing facilities leave out table-editing capabilities. Fill
that gap with Jordan Evans' Excel
5.0 to HTML Table Converter (URL is
<URL:http://rs712b.gsfc.nasa.gov/704/dgd/xl2html.html> ).
- WEB Wizard For beginners
in search of a quick and easy way to build a home page, consider WEB Wizard (URL is
<URL:http://www.halcyon.com/webwizard/> ), a simple package which
prepares a home page after a question-and-answer session with the user. 16-bit
and 32-bit Windows versions are available.
- HTML Writer
- A simple, useful non-WYSIWYG HTML editor that cooperates closely with most
web browsers is HTML
Writer, <URL:http://lal.cs.byu.edu/people/nosack/>. "Donationware."
- SoftQuad
HoTMetaL
- SoftQuad's HoTMetaL is a WYSIWYG HTML editor designed from the ground up
to edit HTML. Unlike HTML modes for existing word processors, every aspect of
HoTMetaL reflects this purpose.
<URL:http://www.sq.com/products/hotmetal/hmp-org.htm>
- WebEdit
- WebEdit is a non-WYSIWYG editor (it does include a WYSIWYG editor for HTML
3.0 tables). Spell-checking is standard, and support is claimed for all HTML
3.0 features. See: <URL:http://wwwnt.thegroup.net/webedit/webedit.htm>
- Emissary
- Wollongong's Emissary is a complete Internet software suite which includes
WYSIWYG HTML editing features (see <URL:http://www.twg.com/emissary/> ).
- html-helper-mode for
EMACS
- Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS
"mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/>
).
- html-helper-mode for
EMACS
- Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS
"mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/>
).
TkWWW
(URL is <URL:http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/TkWWW/Status.html> )
supports WYSIWYG HTML editing; and since it's also a browser, you can try out
links immediately after creating them.
Phoenix
(URL is http://www.bsd.uchicago.edu/ftp/pub/phoenix/README.html ) A fully
WYSIWYG HTML editor which insulates the user from direct control of the HTML
tags. Available by anonymous FTP from www.bsd.uchicago.edu in the pub/phoenix
subdirectory.
ASHE
A WYSIWYG HTML editor which takes advantage of the NCSA Mosaic HTML "widget"
(URL is <URL:ftp://ftp.cs.rpi.edu/pub/puninj/ASHE/README.html> ).
htmltext
htmltext supports WYSIWYG HTML editing. More information is available at the
URL <URL:http://web.cs.city.ac.uk/homes/njw/htmltext/htmltext.html> .
html-helper-mode for
EMACS
Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS
"mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/>
).
WebAuthor
A fully WYSIWYG commercial HTML editing product from Silicon Graphics (URL
is <URL:http://www.sgi.com/Products/WebFORCE/WebForceSoft.html> ).
SoftQuad
HoTMetaL
SoftQuad's HoTMetaL is a WYSIWYG HTML editor designed from the ground up to
edit HTML. Unlike HTML modes for existing word processors, every aspect of
HoTMetaL reflects this purpose.
<URL:http://www.sq.com/products/hotmetal/hmp-org.htm>
- html-helper-mode for
EMACS
- Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS
"mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/>
).
- HTML
DTD
- Another option, if you have an SGML editor, is to use it with the HTML DTD
(URL is <URL:http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/MarkUp/DTDHeading.html> ).
- NCSA's
List of Filters and Editors
- See
<URL:http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/faq-software.html#editors>
for an another list of available HTML editing products.
World Wide Web
FAQ