HTML Files

HTML files are just normal text files that can be read or created in a huge choice range of programs, starting with the most basic of all - Macintosh TextEdit or Windows Notepad. The only difference is the file extension - normally Notepad and TextEdit would save .txt files, but HTML files should be saved with the .htm or .html extension - it doesn't matter which, but it's easier if you're consistent. You can choose an extension in the Save As dialog box.

If you use Windows or Mac OSX you probably won't see these extensions, so you'll need to be careful that the files are saved correctly.

On the subject of naming your files, I advise you to use lower case. Although on your computer file names are not case sensitive, on most web servers they are. By sticking to lower case, there will never be any problems.

WYSIWYG Editors

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, like Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage can also be used to create HTML files. Rather than writing the code, you "draw" the pages on the screen, a bit like you would do with Desktop Publishing. The program then creates the HTML code needed by the browser to make it look like you have drawn it.

The only problem with WYSIWYG is that you don't have complete control. The software can only do so much, and it's often impossible to achieve what you want to do without extra code being inserted. By coding pages yourself you will know exactly where you stand. The code will also be "cleaner" - more efficient, and so faster to download as many editors especially those not specifically designed for HTML coding add in lots of extras which are not necessary.

HTML Editors

You can also get programs designed to help you with your code editing, although I wouldn't recommend them until you've got to grips with the language (some are quite expensive too).

Once you know what you're doing, have a look in the Resources section for some links.

Viewing HTML Files

You can view any web page that you want - use the View Source command in your browser, which should just display the file in Notepad [Windows] and TextEdit [Mac]. If you've got something like Frontpage on your Windows computer, it may have associated itself with HTML files so you'll need to alter your internet settings to put Notepad in control.

Looking through existing HTML files is a great aid to the learning process. Why not start by looking at the code to this page. You will see lots of the tags we mentioned earlier.

Move onto the next section - Your First HTML Page