HTML Programs Comparison
February 16, 2000
|
There are seemingly hundreds of
HTML authoring programs around,
some free, some expensive, some highly advertised, and some
requiring no knowledge of the language to create a site looking
like a million others.
|
This review is going to compare five programs that tend to fall
through the cracks -- programs you buy but aren't expensive or
template based.
These programs range in price from $19.95 to $65, and in size
from 1.2 MB to 6.8 MB. There is also a range in quality, but it
does not necessarily follow the outline created by the price
range.
Think of this as MS Notepad on steroids. In terms of interface,
it is extremely basic. It has a function menu along the bottom
that, when selected, opens the various commands on the left side
of the document. For example, click on HTML at the bottom, and the
many HTML commands open on the left.
If you wish to click on the command and have it appear on the
page, you sometimes have to search for it by scrolling down until
it appears. It isn't convenient, and you do have to know what
you need.
This is a program that better serves those who are experienced
writers of HTML. These folks know what they need, can type it
in if they don't see the command easily, and can take advantage
of its ability to save "clips" to add some automation to the
process.
Those clips can range in size from a boilerplate to a simple
set of commands.
Neophytes may find the interface confusing and that the reason
they are neophytes is because they need built-in automation
included to perform several tasks without error. It isn't here.
Those in the middle will be able to do most things but will
find the program as visually exciting as watching grass grow.
This is, for those who have a clue, great for quick editing jobs,
and it does allow the easy transformation of text files to HTML.
It also has several nice features as a text editor, such as
find/replace, automatic indentation, conversion between ASCII
and ANSI, and a thesaurus.
The program also comes in a freeware version and a standard
version ($9.95), with the amount of features providing the
differences in each.
If you have a need for speed, decent organization, and enjoy
automation for many of the time-consuming processes of HTML,
this program is a must have.
It's interface is uncluttered, well marked, and provides all
you need for each function. Additionally, you can save your
own clips to further automate specific jobs.
One nice feature is the ability to preview your work internally
or externally without having to first save the file, an option
made available during setup. While most HTML editors preview
in IE just fine, SiteAid seems to work better than most with
Netscape, too.
There really is nothing fancy about SiteAid, which for the past
two years has been freeware. Built-in editors make simple work
of setting up frames, tables, forms, CSS, and scripts, thus
enabling you to spend more thought on content rather than
construction. It has its own FTP module and spell checker,
and it offers numerous programmable buttons for "user"
functions as you so choose.
SiteAid's toolbars are easily customized, and the program
allows you to create toolbar items of your own featuring the
various snippets you wish to include. They can also be
replaced at a later time if they become obsolete or not
needed on your current job.
This is another program that's great for the quick edit job
because of its speed, clarity, and ease of use.
HTML Program Comparison Chart
|
