Programs for Authoring Websites
This page continues from the page called "Practical: Web Design (HTML & CSS)".Which is a page all about the basic information and history of HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) but the information in this page will help you to know more about the programs that we use for writing or authoring webpages and websites. Enjoy :)Lets start with...
Common Types of Programs use for authoring websites:
There are many types of programs that we can use to author websites, such as ;
quac- Text editor
A text editor is a computer program that lets a user enter, change, store, and usually print text (characters and numbers, each encoded by the computer). Typically, a text editor provides an "empty" display screen (sometimes called "scrollable page") . You can then fill the lines in with text, line by line. After saving a document, you can then print it or display it. Text editors can be used to enter program language source statements or to create documents such as technical manuals.
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| This is what a text editor looks like-Notepad in Windows 8 |
- Online Website Editor
For example: http://www.quackit.com/html/online-html-editor/
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| A view of quackit website |
- GUI (Graphical User Interface) Editor
A program that allows you to create your own websites but to use this type of program you don't have to remember all of the HTML code unlike text editor software or an online websites editor. This is because the GUI editors will prepare all of the HTML code that you need. All you have to do is choose the HTML code that you would like to use. Moreover, it gives you many view of the website while you are authoring it. For instance it gives you the "spilt view", which means that while you authoring the website, you can see the result.For example: Dreamweaver.
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| Dreamweaver logo |
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| View of Dreamweaver |
- Online Share-able Website Editor
An application that is similar to the online website editor. However the different between these two is, for the online website editor only one person can edit the file at a time but for the online share-able website editor many people can edit the files at the same time. This is because we can share and connect the file together with many people. In addition for online share-able website editor, it indicate whet ever is there a mistake or even forgot to close tags. For example: Editey.
Here is a link of it...
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| Editey welcome page |
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| How to load "Editey" |
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| View of "Editey" |
Advantages & Disadvantages of using each tools
Types of Tools
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Advantages
|
Disadvantages
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Text editor software
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· Easy
to use.(user friendly)
· Some
operating system, already have the software installed.
· Ideal
for creating quick and simply text files.
· Useful
for someone who are starting to learn about HTML code.
|
· Limited
graphical options.
· Need
to remember all of the HTML code.
· To
view the webpage we have to save the files and open it with the web browser.
· Only
one person can edit the file at a time.
· Need
to create a new CSS file and link it with the HTML file.
|
Online website editor
|
· Free
of charge.
· Simple
to use.
· The
page will be split into two parts, one part is the HTML codes and another
part is how the webpage look like. This will make us know what our webpage
look like without having to open the web browser.
· No
need to install the program.
|
· Limited
graphical options.
· Need
to have Internet access.
· Only
one person can edit the file at a time.
· Sometimes
it becomes lack.
· Need
to refresh every time you enter new data.
|
GUI editor
|
· It
will view how the webpage will look like immediately after well enter the
HTML code without having to open the web browser.
· Don’t
have to remember all of the HTML code. It auto –add for us.
· We
can choose to see our webpage in several ways such as view only the HTML
code, view only the webpage design or view both webpage design and HTML code.
· Lots
of graphical choices.
· Locate
the error, when misspelled tags or forgot to close it.
· Can
combine the html. File and css. File together.
·
User
friendly
|
· Sometimes
it is complicated to use.
· Need
to install the program into your computer before using it.
· Some
GUI editor programs are not free of charge.
· Only
one person can edit the file at a time.
· Need
to create a new CSS file and link it with the HTML file.
·
Take
a lot of space to store.
·
It
is slow when saving.
|
Online share-able website editor
|
· Free
o f charge and you can choose the templates.
· Many
people can edit the files at the same times (the webpage can be done faster).
· You didn't have
to link the HTML file with the CSS file because it already link them.
· Locate
the error, when misspelled tags or forgot to close it.
· Will
be automatically saved.
|
• Need to have internet access.
• Need to remember some of the HTML
code.
• Not much graphical choices.
|
My opinions of using each tools
Who might use each tool & Why??
Text Editor Software
- Text editor: I like to use the text editor software because it is simple to use and it doesn't require internet access. However, I am needed to remember the code and what to write, thus I'm not really confident about it since I'm afraid that I might write the wrong code.
- Online website editor: I like to use online website editor because it is simple to use and there are not too many functions. In addition, this make me became less confused when writing HTML and Moreover the online website editor is free of charge. However sometimes it just stop working since the internet connection was lost.
- GUI editor: I love that GUI editor software has the function called "Spilt"it let me author the html while viewing the results. I didn't quite like to use the GUI editor software since there are too many functions which confused me, most of the time.However when you have get used to it, it is pretty much easier that I have thought.
- Online share-able website editor: I like to use the online share-able website editor because it is not too complicated to use,also there are not too many complicated functions. Moreover, I don't need to create a new CSS file because it already link the HTML file with the CSS file. Also, the online share-able website editor is free of charge.
Who might use each tool & Why??
Text Editor Software
- People who are starting to learn about HTML code because the text editor software is a very basic program to use, thus it only allow you to create a text file and there are not too many functions.
- In addition, it is better if the user, who are practicing with the code, use this software since it requires remembering it and its usage.
- The people who just want to create a quick and simple webpage or text file.
- In contrary, people that are experts at writing Html code (Not codes), since the text editor doesn’t give you the code. Thus the person must not be careless since if they mess the code up, it is hard to re-do it again.
Online Website Editor
- People who are starting to learn about HTML but don't want to spend their money and install the program. Since the online website editor is a very basic program, its usage is just like text editor software but to use the online website editor you don't have to install the program into your computer because you can just open it in the web browsers.
- Beginners are also able to use this since some websites have already given the tags.
- Businessman with laptops that has low capacity. SInce using online website editor does not require downloading and you can use it anytime.
- The students because the GUI editors help them to learn more about the HTML code and how HTML works in different ways. It also allows the students create a wonderful website for their homework, project, etc.
- The people who create websites as their career because there are variety of graphical functions and it already prepare some HTML code for the users which will allow the users to create a quick website. In addition there are many variety of functions. Hence they can make the website incredible.
- The companies since there are many graphical functions and it save a lot of time since it already prepare the HTML code for the users.
- There are numerous functions that is in the GUI editor, thus the user can edit every detail of the website, till it is perfect.
Online Share-able Website Editor
- The companies because the online share-able website editor is quite easy to use and it already prepare the template and the files that we need (such as HTML file, CSS file, etc) which will save lots of time when creating a website. Also, this can help the website to be done faster because many people can edit the webpage at the same.
- people who are authoring website together, since they can share and connect the files together. Thus they don't have to worry about overwriting the information. Since they are able to view what other people are authoring in the files.
- The students who are doing a group project on creating a website because they can edit the webpage at the same time which will help their project to get done quicker, and it is simple to use the editor.
Here are the tutorial that is made by our teacher Mr. LaCumber. It is based on IGCSE ICT Website Authoring Unit. Enjoy.
Tips: For HTML beginners....
Do's
DO name your main page as lowercase index.html. (always)
DO write your documents clearly and concisely.
DO back-up your documents.
DO organize the text of your document so that your readers
can scan for important information.
DO always provide a link back to your home page.
DO match topics with pages.
DO provide a signature block or link to contact information
on one page in your site.
DO spell check and proofread your documents.
DO keep your layout simple.
DO provide alternatives to images for text-only browsers.
DO be careful with backgrounds and colored text so that you
don't make your pages flashy but unreadable.
DO group related information both semantically (through the
organization of the content) and visually (through the use of headings or by
separating sections with rule lines.
DO use a consistent layout across all your pages.
DO use link menus to organize your links for quick scanning.
DO use descriptive links.
Don't's!
DON'T use heading tags to provide emphasis.
DON'T clutter the page with lots of pretty but unnecessary
images.
DON'T link to irrelevant material.
DON'T link repeatedly to the same site on the same page.
DON'T write web pages that are dependent on pages before or
after them in the structure.
DON'T use terminology specific to any one browser (click
here, use the back button and so on).
