For HTML there are basically three ways to do coding:
A plain text editor, like NotePad (already on most Windows machines), BEdit (for the Mac) or TED (for LINUX), is a good choice. It saves the coded page in pure ASCII text so you don't get any of the Word Processor glitches like funny quotation marks and extraneous code. It's fast, easy to use and because HTML is so easy to learn, once you have a baker's dozen or so worth of tags under your belt, you can pretty much make any auction layout you want.
Enhanced text/HTML editors like NoteTab Lite and 1st Page 2000 provide a plain text editor wrapped up in features that allow you to do many of the basic things you would with a text editor but at the touch of a single key or click of a single menu item... like inserting standard code blocks or un-doing and re-doing multiple 'layers' of your previous actions, etc.
WYSIWYG (pronounced wissy-wig or wizzy-wig -- What You See Is What You Get) HTML processors, like Front Page or Dreamweaver, provide you with Word Processor-like convenience of drag and drop, formatting and font control. Most of these, however, have to make compromises on code in order to handle the layout and construction. Often they do not create efficient code and typically the insert extensive extraneous code. Further, it is difficult to keep the program from using it's latest version of the code even if you don't want to. These are great for full web pages but they are likely over-kill for auction templates or me pages and should certainly be avoided by beginners.
The biggest difference in these three types ranges from control to convenience. You will want to look at and use several in order to make up your mind. I consider myself a reasonably good professional HTML coder. I use and recommend 1st Page 2000. I also recognize John (MrHTML on the eBay Photo/HTML board) as a reasonably good professional HTML coder and he uses and recommends NotePad. I've known professional coders who are quite good and use Dreamweaver and even (yech!) Front Page, too!
The thing is, it really is a matter of personal preference and choice. The best program is the one that works best for you!
It's always the right time to use good code.
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The Best HTML Editor
It really is a matter of personal preference. I knew a carpenter once who built houses but never used a hammer or a saw... just a hatchet. He drove nails with the blunt end of the head and trimmed wood with the pointy end. It seemed to me to be very strange but it worked for him.
I suppose you could throw in a fourth category: word processors -- but i really don't know why anyone would ever use one for creating good HTML. In fact, there are a number of reasons why you should not use a word processor (like MSWord or WordPerfect) to create HTML, expecially for eBay auctions, so I won't include those in this discussion.
Copyright © 2002, 2008, by Stephen B. Henry