HTML editors

Some editors are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), or close to it; others simply assist you in writing HTML by plugging in the desired markup tags for you from a menu. The latter are surprisingly useful, and the former surprisingly limited. As a rule of thumb, if you are keenly interested in using the very latest new HTML feature, you will probably be disappointed with WYSIWYG editors. Some WYSIWYG editors do support entry of unfamiliar tags, however. A few can even display them in the color or style of your choice.

This document covers editors for the following systems:

HTML editors for the Mac
HTML editors for Microsoft Windows
HTML editors for Unix (non-graphical)
HTML editors for the X Window System
Miscellaneous editors

HTML Editors for the Mac

Web Warrior: Web Warrior is a free HTML editor which features user-definable tags, command key equivalents, HTML correctness checking, and "semi-WYSIWYG" editing. <URL:http://www.bact.wisc.edu/WebWarriorTop.html>
HTML-HyperEditor: <URL:http://www.lu.se/info/Editor/HTML-HyperEditor.html> HTML-HyperEditor allows for European non-English characters, imports existing HTML files, and has built-in FTP compatibility for easy installation of your finished HTML. HTML-HyperEditor also provides a facility to convert tab-delimited text files to HTML tables (most spreadsheets can "save as" ASCII, and this program can be used to convert the result to a table).
HTML Editor: A near-WYSIWYG package URL is <URL:http://dragon.acadiau.ca/~giles/HTML_Editor> ). A stand-alone program.
ANT_HTML: ANT_HTML <URL:http://mcia.com/ant> is a Microsoft Word for the Macintosh template designed to convert Word documents into HTML documents in a WYSIWYG environment. It includes a utility to convert existing HTML files for editing within the system. ANT_PLUS also converts HTML files to ASCII, RTF, or any other format possible in Word. ANT_HTML works in all versions of Word, including international versions. ANT_HTML supports customization; when new tags appear, the user can add them even though they did not exist when ANT_HTML was installed. Also available for Windows. See <URL:http://mcia.com/ant> for more information.
GT_HTML: GT_HTML <URL:http://www.gatech.edu/word_html/> is also a Microsoft Word 6.0 (or higher) for Windows or Macintosh template to create HTML documents under Word. Limited support for tables is included.
BBEdit HTML extensions: This package of extensions allows the BBEdit and BBEdit Lite text editors for the Macintosh to conveniently edit HTML documents. (URL is <URL:http://www.uji.es/bbedit-html-extensions.html> .) You can also obtain the extensions package by anonymous ftp from sumex-aim.stanford.edu as info-mac/bbedit-html-ext-b3.hqx. Also see below.
BBEditTools: There is an alternative BBEdit extension package available as well (URL is <URL:http://www.york.ac.uk/~ld11/BBEditTools.html> ). it is available by FTP from ftp.york.ac.uk in the directory /pub/users/ld11/BBEdit_HTML_Tools.sea.hqx.
SoftQuad HoTMetaL: SoftQuad's HoTMetaL is a WYSIWYG HTML editor designed from the ground up to edit HTML. Unlike HTML modes for existing word processors, every aspect of HoTMetaL reflects this purpose. <URL:http://www.sq.com/products/hotmetal/hmp-org.htm>
Web-Knitter: Web-Knitter is an HTML editor for the Macintosh which claims ease of use. <URL:http://www.suba.com/~chicago/web>
html-helper-mode for EMACS: Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS "mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/> ).
NaviPress: NaviPress is a combination WYSIWYG HTML editor/Web browser with remote save functionality, an unusual convenience. Version 1.1 supports much of HTML 3.0, and it includes site and link management features. <URL:http://www.navisoft.com/index.htm>

HTML Editors for Microsoft Windows

ANT_HTML: ANT_HTML <URL:http://mcia.com/ant> is a Microsoft Word template designed to convert Word documents into HTML documents in a WYSIWYG environment. It includes a utility to convert existing HTML files for editing within the system. ANT_PLUS also converts HTML files to ASCII, RTF, or any other format possible in Word. ANT_HTML works in all versions of Word, including international and 32-bit versions. ANT_HTML supports customization; when new tags appear, the user can add them even though they did not exist when ANT_HTML was installed. Also available for the Macintosh. See <URL:http://mcia.com/ant> for more information.
GT_HTML: GT_HTML <URL:http://www.gatech.edu/word_html/> is a Microsoft Word 6.0 (or higher) for Windows or Macintosh template to create HTML documents under Word. Limited support for tables is included.
TC-Director: TC-Director is a standalone HTML editor for Windows. TC-Director supports all standard HTML 2.0 tags and allows insertion of new tags as well. "Creation wizards" are provided to assist in the correct entry of the more complex tags. <URL:http://www.euronet.nl/users/rpe/readme.html>
Internet Assistant: Microsoft has released Internet Assistant, a Word for Windows template which can edit HTML in a WYSIWYG manner, including the capability to load existing HTML documents. It also includes simple browsing capabilities, intended to assist in editing. <URL:http://www.microsoft.com/msoffice/freestuf/msword/download/ia/default.htm>
WebMania: WebMania is an HTML editor with unusually strong support for frames, JavaScript, and forms. Most notable is the ability to painlessly review the output of forms submitted via mailto: links, sidestepping the need for CGI programming. <URL:http://www.q-d.com/>
DiDa: DiDa is a free HTML editor by Godfrey Ko. The editing window is non-WYSIWYG, but a WYSIWYG previewer is included, and the previewer lets you see how your page will look with or without a Netscape-compatible browser. <URL:http://www.mcs.net/~grossman>
NaviPress: NaviPress is a combination WYSIWYG HTML editor/Web browser with remote save functionality, an unusual convenience. Version 1.1 supports much of HTML 3.0, and it includes site and link management features. <URL:http://www.navisoft.com/index.htm>
Quarterdeck WebAuthor: Yet another commercial Word for Windows HTML editing template is available from Quarterdeck (URL is <URL:http://www.qdeck.com/webauthor/fact.html> ) and is rumored to be superior to Internet Assistant.
HTML Assistant: A non-WYSIWYG editor called HTML Assistant is available, with features to assist in the rapid creation of HTML documents. A good choice for experienced HTML authors wishing to save keyboarding time. Available by anonymous FTP from ftp.cs.dal.ca in the directory /htmlasst/. Read the README.1ST file in this directory for information on which files to download. See also: <URL:http://fox.nstn.ca/~harawitz/index.html>
HTMLed: HTMLed <URL:http://www.ist.ca/htmled/> is a well-reviewed non-WYSIWYG HTML editor. The Pro version features context-sensitive highlighting of HTML tags, a near-WYSIWYG feature. The Pro version can also directly import RTF documents for easy conversion of existing documents.
EdWin: EdWin is a Windows-based non-WYSIWYG HTML editor which supports a wide range of tags. <URL:http://www.vantek.net/pages/msutton/edwin.htm>
Live Markup: ( <URL:http://www.mediatec.com/mediatech/> ) is a WYSIWYG HTML editor for Windows which insulates the user completely from HTML.
Excel 5.0 to HTML Table Creator: Most HTML editing facilities leave out table-editing capabilities. Fill that gap with Jordan Evans' Excel 5.0 to HTML Table Converter (URL is <URL:http://rs712b.gsfc.nasa.gov/704/dgd/xl2html.html> ).
WEB Wizard For beginners in search of a quick and easy way to build a home page, consider WEB Wizard (URL is <URL:http://www.halcyon.com/webwizard/> ), a simple package which prepares a home page after a question-and-answer session with the user. 16-bit and 32-bit Windows versions are available.
HTML Writer: A simple, useful non-WYSIWYG HTML editor that cooperates closely with most web browsers is HTML Writer, <URL:http://lal.cs.byu.edu/people/nosack/>. "Donationware."
SoftQuad HoTMetaL: SoftQuad's HoTMetaL is a WYSIWYG HTML editor designed from the ground up to edit HTML. Unlike HTML modes for existing word processors, every aspect of HoTMetaL reflects this purpose. <URL:http://www.sq.com/products/hotmetal/hmp-org.htm>
Visual HTML++: Ellussion offers a basic, very easy-to-use WYSIWYG HTML creation tool. Visual HTML++ can create attractive, simple HTML documents but cannot edit existing HTML pages. Shareware. <URL:http://www.nfinity.com/~ellussion>
WebEdit: WebEdit is a non-WYSIWYG editor with a WYSIWYG previewer and a WYSIWYG editor for HTML 3.0 tables. Spell-checking is standard, and support is claimed for all HTML 3.0 features. See: <URL:http://www.nesbitt.com/>
Emissary: Wollongong's Emissary is a complete Internet software suite which includes WYSIWYG HTML editing features (see <URL:http://www.twg.com/> ).
html-helper-mode for EMACS: Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS "mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/> ).
Gomer: Gomer is a straightforward non-WYSIWYG editor with basic tag-match checking. <URL:http://www.clever.net/gomer/>

HTML Editors for Unix (non-graphical)

html-helper-mode for EMACS: Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS "mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/> ).

HTML Editors for the X Window System

NaviPress

NaviPress is a combination WYSIWYG HTML editor/Web browser with remote save functionality, an unusual convenience. Version 1.1 supports much of HTML 3.0, and it includes site and link management features. <URL:http://www.navisoft.com/index.htm>

asWedit

(URL is <URL:http://www.advasoft.com/asWedit.html> ) asWedit is a friendly, graphical editor for the X Window System on many Unix platforms. asWedit validates HTML and does not allow tags to be entered in the wrong context.

TkWWW

(URL is <URL:http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/TkWWW/Status.html> ) TkWWW supports WYSIWYG HTML editing, and since it's also a browser, you can try out links immediately after creating them.

Phoenix

<ftp://www.bsd.uchicago.edu/pub/phoenix> A fully WYSIWYG HTML editor which insulates the user from direct control of the HTML tags. Available by anonymous FTP from www.bsd.uchicago.edu in the pub/phoenix subdirectory.

ASHE

A WYSIWYG HTML editor which takes advantage of the NCSA Mosaic HTML "widget" (URL is <URL:ftp://ftp.cs.rpi.edu/pub/puninj/ASHE/README.html> ).

htmltext

htmltext supports WYSIWYG HTML editing. More information is available at the URL <URL:http://web.cs.city.ac.uk/homes/njw/htmltext/htmltext.html> .

html-helper-mode for EMACS

Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS "mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/> ).

WebAuthor

A fully WYSIWYG commercial HTML editing product from Silicon Graphics (URL is <URL:http://www.sgi.com/Products/WebFORCE/WebForceSoft.html> ).

SoftQuad HoTMetaL

SoftQuad's HoTMetaL is a WYSIWYG HTML editor designed from the ground up to edit HTML. Unlike HTML modes for existing word processors, every aspect of HoTMetaL reflects this purpose. <URL:http://www.sq.com/products/hotmetal/hmp-org.htm>

Miscellaneous editors

HTML Interactive Editor: The HIE takes advantage of Netscape 2.0's JavaScript and frames features to split the screen between a text editing window and a rendered view of the HTML. Works on any platform that supports Netscape 2.0. <URL:http://www.math.macalstr.edu/~smcguire/HIE/>
html-helper-mode for EMACS: Users of the EMACS editor will want to consider html-helper-mode, an EMACS "mode" for HTML editing (see <URL:http://www.santafe.edu/~nelson/tools/> ).
jed: jed, by John Davis, is a general-purpose text editor with a special HTML mode which can highlight tags and perform other context-sensitive tasks. Available by anonymous FTP from space.mit.edu in the directory: /pub/davis/jed
HTML DTD: Another option, if you have an SGML editor, is to use it with the HTML DTD (URL is <URL:http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/MarkUp/DTDHeading.html> ).
NCSA's List of Filters and Editors: See <URL:http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/faq-software.html#editors> for an another list of available HTML editing products.

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