| In the past, when someone wanted to create a | | | | of minutes instead of the hours or days needed to |
| website, they usually chose one of two options: hand | | | | hand code an entire site. |
| code it, or hire someone else to hand code it. Hand | | | | This type of web design software also makes it |
| coding can be very difficult and time-consuming, | | | | very easy to create style sheets, which assist in |
| especially if the website has any features other than | | | | formatting a very large amount of content across |
| simple text and images. To be an effective hand | | | | several pages. With a style sheet, a user can specify, |
| coder, an individual has to have expert-level | | | | for example, that all text within a paragraph should |
| knowledge of different coding languages, such as | | | | be written in 12-point sans-serif font and that all |
| HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Fortunately, web site | | | | headers should be in 16-point serif font. By |
| design software tools have come a long way and | | | | standardizing this information, many web pages can |
| been developed to make this process much easier. | | | | be formatted in a very short period of time. This |
| Web design software has revolutionized the website | | | | feature of web design software also enables your |
| creation industry. Individuals with little or no coding | | | | site to load faster when visitors see it on the |
| experience can quickly and easily build websites | | | | internet. |
| without the expense of outsourcing. The emergence | | | | Many WYSIWYG editors allow aspiring designers to |
| of the "What You See is What You Get" | | | | see the HTML code behind the pages that they've |
| ("WYSIWYG") type of web design software has | | | | created. This can be very helpful if the designer |
| made it very easy to build a website with very little | | | | hopes to become proficient in HTML or CSS. While |
| knowledge of HTML. | | | | knowledge of these languages is not necessary when |
| WYSIWYG web site design software allows users, in | | | | using WYSIWYG web design software, it can be |
| effect, to generate a site backwards. Instead of first | | | | very beneficial if the designer desires to use more |
| writing the code and then seeing the output, the | | | | advanced forms of designing software. It can also |
| user will specify the output that he or she desires, | | | | enable the creator of the site to go directly to the |
| and the web site design software will display the | | | | site's code and make modifications without the help |
| code needed to display that specific text or object. | | | | of the web design software. |
| The interfaces for these programs are often similar | | | | WYSIWYG HTML editors are invaluable for beginning |
| to programs that users may already be familiar with, | | | | website creators; without them, every designer |
| such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. The web | | | | would have to first become proficient in HTML and |
| design software allows a user to insert text, pictures, | | | | CSS, which may take many months or even years. |
| tables, and other objects into the website without | | | | The versatility of these web design software |
| requiring knowledge of HTML tags. By simply clicking | | | | packages has opened up the world of web design to |
| a few buttons, a website can be created in a matter | | | | everyone, even the HTML- illiterate. |