In order to start we
need some tools (software).

In this section you
will find the most important tools we use to build and maintain
our websites.

HTML documents are just simple ASCII text files. Applications can
be used to create and edit HTML documents. You might be surprised
to know that if you use the Windows OS, then you already have the
most basic editor available on your computer, Windows Notepad.
While MSWord has the ability to create HTML, you should not use it
or any other word proccessing applications to create/edit HTML as
it will add propriety and/or unecessary tags and most likely
you'll find that your web page will not appear as you had
originally planned. 



Even though it's possible to create HTML documents using Notepad,
you'll soon discover that it's very tedious if you have several
pages, sometimes even hundreds, of pages of code to edit. To be
more efficient, you'll need an HTML editor or a web authoring tool
also known as a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) tool. An
HTML editor allows a user to code using helpful tool bars and
other editing tools. WYSIWYG authoring tools, have a graphical
interface, similar to a word processing program or page layout, in
which the user can manipulate page elements without ever having to
write any HTML. There are many applications available. What you
use will depend on your skill level, the time you have to code,
and the amount of money you want to invest. 



There are advantages and disadvantages to using any application
and that includes HTML editors and WYSIWYG Web Authoring tools. 



The advantages of HTML editors: 

1. Web developer has ultimate control over the code 

2. Using an editor can be quick and easy 

3. Creates shortcuts for setting up repetitive code, tables, and
forms 

4. Most editors are inexpensive or free. 



The disadvantages of HTML editors: 

1. Requires good basic knowledge of HTML to get take advantage of
all available features. 

2. Good typing skills would be a plus! 



The advantages of WYSIWYG Web Authoring tools: 

1. Short learning curve. They are great for beginner web
developers. 

2. Web site design consistency is easily maintained using
templates 

3. Complex code is created quickly with advanced functions. 

4. Prototyping websites is fast and simple and design ideas can be
tested on the fly. 



The disadvantages of WYSIWYG Web Authoring tools: 

1. They often add unnecessary and proprietary tags and strip out
tags that are unfamiliar to the application. 

2. Web developer is limited to whatever versions of code the
application has available. If a newer version is created the web
developer must upgrade the application. 

3. The point and click method can be awkward and when graphics are
generated there may be little or no control over quality or file
size. 

4. They are usually very pricey.

Compare some HTML editors here