| > | | | | have several options. Some web design software |
| Tips About Website Design Software | | | | has help files that offer lessons on learning HTML. |
| You may have heard of web design software and | | | | You can also use a WYSIWYG application. |
| wonder what it is and how it can help you. | | | | WYSIWYG, an anagram for “what you see is |
| Let’s quickly discuss what a web page is. A | | | | what you get”, is a type of web design |
| web page is a collection of text, pictures, audio, and | | | | software allowing you to see a near exact replica of |
| or video that is viewed on a Web browser. If | | | | what the finished product looks like as you’re |
| you’ve ever used Internet Explorer, Mozilla | | | | creating it. With WYSIWYG, you don’t have |
| Firefox, Avant Browser, Opera, Safari, Maxthon, or | | | | to know HTML. You simply click menu drop-downs |
| some other browser, you’ve seen web | | | | and icons and select options for formatting and |
| pages. So how does a web page know where to | | | | design. The code is automatically written by the |
| display the images and where the text goes? The | | | | software. |
| web site creator writes instructions for the web | | | | There are many web design products available. |
| page to follow in a computer language known as | | | | Some of them are free (CoffeeCup, EasyHTML). |
| HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). HTML tells the | | | | Some are somewhat expensive (Microsoft |
| browser what color to make the text, what | | | | FrontPage, Macromedia Dreamweaver). Some let |
| background image to use, table properties, text color, | | | | you create very powerful, professional features |
| shape, and size—the whole nine yards. (Note | | | | (such as Flash animation, JavaScript, PHP tools, |
| that there are other languages used, but HTML is the | | | | creating animated GIFs, forms and database-driven |
| predominant one.) | | | | pages, and more). Other applications are simple, and |
| Web design software is used to assist the web | | | | intended to simply assist you in reading HTML code |
| developer in writing HTML. Many web design | | | | more clearly. And actually, you can write code with |
| software programs color code your HTML so you | | | | a simple Notepad application and save it as an HTML |
| can tell the difference between the code and the | | | | file. |
| content to appear on your site. For example, | | | | Is there a “best” program out there? |
| let’s say you want to create a web site that | | | | The most “popular” programs are |
| says “I Love New York” in red letters. | | | | Dreamweaver and FrontPage. However, my |
| The HTML coding would look like this: | | | | suggestion is to go out and check out the demos for |
| New York | | | | several programs. (The ones who don’t |
| I Love New York | | | | offer a demo probably aren’t worth your time |
| The text that appears in red is the code, while the | | | | or consideration.) Weigh the pros and cons of each |
| text in black is the content. This makes it easier to | | | | and draw your own conclusion as to which web |
| read. You may say, “But what if I | | | | design software beats out the competition. |
| don’t know any HTML?” Well, you | | | | |