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

HTML Editor A near-WYSIWYG package URL is <URL:http://dragon.acadiau.ca/~giles/HTML_Editor> ). A stand-alone program.
ANT_HTML: ANT_HTML is a Word for the Macintosh template designed to convert Word documents into HTML documents in a WYSIWYG environment. It includes a demo version of the ANT_PLUS utility, which converts HTML files to WYSIWYG. ANT_PLUS also converts HTML files to ASCII, RTF, or any other format possible in Word. At the time of this writing it was scheduled to have been released on the Macintosh (it has long been available for Windows). Contact jswift@freenet.fsu.edu for more information.
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>
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 Microsoft Windows

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 rudimentary browsing capabilities, sufficient to assist in editing (URL is <URL:http://www.microsoft.com/pages/deskapps/word/ia/default.htm> ).
ANT_HTML: ANT_HTML is a Word template for both Windows (URL is <URL:ftp://ftp.einet.net/einet/pc> ) and the Macintosh (URL is <URL:ftp://ftp.einet.net/einet/mac/html-aids/> ) designed to convert Word documents into HTML documents in a WYSIWYG environment. It includes a demo version of the ANT_PLUS utility, which converts HTML files for importation and further editing. ANT_PLUS also converts HTML files to ASCII, RTF, or any other format possible in Word 6.0. Contact jswift@freenet.fsu.edu for more information.
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>
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>
WebEdit: WebEdit is a non-WYSIWYG editor (it does include 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://wwwnt.thegroup.net/webedit/webedit.htm>
Emissary: Wollongong's Emissary is a complete Internet software suite which includes WYSIWYG HTML editing features (see <URL:http://www.twg.com/emissary/> ).
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 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

TkWWW

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

Phoenix

(URL is http://www.bsd.uchicago.edu/ftp/pub/phoenix/README.html ) 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-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 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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