Web Authoring Software

Here are just a few of the web authoring software listings found by searching the web.

Expression Web

Expression Web is the successor for FrontPage and is the web editor I am currently using. Build your Web sites your way. Microsoft® Expression® Web gives you all the tools you'll need to produce high-quality, standards-based Web sites the way you want them. Take advantage of the best of dynamic Web site design, enabling you to design, develop, and maintain exceptional standards-based Web sites.

Free Editors

Araneae (pronounced ah-RAN-ee-ay) is a simple, yet powerful text editor, providing only the features necessary to create websites and scripts using the latest web technologies. Best of all, Araneae is absolutely free for non-commercial use. Use it as long as you like for your personal projects.

Nvu (pronounced N-view, for a "new view") makes managing a web site a snap. Now anyone can create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML.

KompoZer is Nvu's unofficial bug-fix release and is a complete web authoring system that combines web file management and easy-to-use WYSIWYG web page editing. KompoZer is designed to be extremely easy to use, making it ideal for non-technical computer users who want to create an attractive, professional-looking web site without needing to know HTML or web coding.

NoteTab Light - Freeware. A slimmed down version of NoteTab Pro. This is a NotePad replacement and a capable HTML editor. You select tags from a menu of icons, much as you would in a word processor.

Html Kit - Here's a freeware HTML editor that's aimed at advanced Web designers. You can use HTML-Kit to create, edit, validate, preview and publish Web pages and scripts. It offers loads of features including hundreds of free plugins and built-in FTP support.

1st Page - This powerful program from Australia is loaded with handy features and is suitable for everyone from newbies to experts. Offers four different interfaces, ranging from Easy mode to Hardcore mode. 1st Page includes full support for WebTV, ASP, SSI, Cold Fusion, DHTML and more. Includes 450 free JavaScripts, as well. (For Windows).

Arachnophilia - Arachnophilia is an outstanding Web editor, bursting with features. It'll import fully formatted text, tables, and outlines from any Windows-compliant application and automatically convert it to HTML. It also has built-in FTP capabilities that can automatically upload files (although it can't delete files, like a true FTP client can). Powerful keyboard macros can include system commands---even other macros, for maximum flexibility. (For Windows) NOTE: I have used this program in the past.

FrontPage -

FrontPage is a Microsoft product. While it can create bloated code - as can any editor if not used wisely - it will produce cleanly coded pages that will validate if you know which features to avoid.

If you use FrontPage to design and maintain your website, the following resources will proved helpful:

Resources for Website Design

The Resources for Website Design section contains links to many of the sites I have used in learning website design and sites I use in designing and maintaining my sites currently. Do you know of any good articles, tutorials, tips, or other resources that might be helpful. Please feel free to submit your recommendation to be included on this Resource page.

Responsible Computer Use

Martha Bagwell is one of the instructors in the Tech Training Class which is part of the SEO Training Class. She has some excellent advice for Responsible Computer Use.

Web Design in General

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF WEB DESIGN IN 3 PARTS
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
Common Web Page Mistakes - Mistakes in Web Design
Dive Into Accessibility 30 days to a more accessible web site - This book answers two questions. The first question is "Why should I make my web site more accessible?" If you do not have a web site, this book is not for you. The second question is "How can I make my web site more accessible?" If you are not convinced by the first answer, you will not be interested in the second.
Google Information for Webmasters - Following these guidelines will help Google find, index, and rank your site. Even if you choose not to implement any of these suggestions, we strongly encourage you to pay very close attention to the "Quality Guidelines," which outline some of the illicit practices that may lead to a site being removed entirely from the Google index.
Quality Tips for Webmasters - Short, simple bits of knowledge for better Web design, authoring, and use, on quality issues related to W3C technologies such as HTML, CSS, HTTP.
Web Style Guide - 2nd edition. This is the online version of the book by the same name.
Web Design Made Simple - tutorials for the beginning web designer.

HTML Coding - Hypertext Markup Language

HTML Document Structure
HTML Cheat sheet
A Bare Bones Guide to HTML
- The Bare Bones Guide to HTML lists every official HTML tag in common usage, plus Netscape and Microsoft extensions. Version 4.0 of the Guide is designed to conform to the HTML 4.0 specification. For official information on the development of HTML, see the World Wide Web Consortium's HTML activity statement.
HTML Basic Tutor
- This is a website targeting small business owners, beginner web designers and hobbyist web site owners. The theme of the site is to promote good web design practices and coding by implementing the recommendations of the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) in a fashion that a person with little or no knowledge of web design can learn from. Each HTML tutorial is written with the HTML beginner in mind. Currently, HTML Basic Tutor is actively involved in the Website Development Training yahoo group, where HTML lessons written by S.R. Emerson are posted.
HTML Playground
- Click on a HTML tag and you get a description of what the tag is and what it's used for, an example of how the tag's used, and the result of that example code.
HTML Code Tutorials - Free Reference Guide for Help with HTML Tags Including Form, Frames, Tables, and more!
Is you are using MS Word to building your web pages read the following articles
- Using Word as a Web Publisher.
- Pat Asher's Webpages are NOT Created Equal

XHTML - EXtensible HyperText Markup Language

XHTML Tutorial - XHTML is a stricter and cleaner version of HTML.
HTML Tidy - Tidy can correct the markup in a way that matches where possible the observed rendering in popular browsers from Netscape and Microsoft. Here are just a few examples of how TIDY perfects your HTML for you. NOTE: I have not yet used this program.
NYPL Online Style Guide - Created for use by the New York Public Library, it has some excellent information for your use.

Style Sheets and their Use

Learn CSS - W3Schools learning CSS.
Introduction to CSS
CSS Tutorial Part 1
CSS Tutorial Part 2
CSS Tutorial Part 3
CSS and images
CSS in webpages
CSS Play
The Golden Rule of CSS - 13 practical attention points for designing with cascading style sheets and more links. Available in pdf format.
Style Sheet Generators
- CSS - Generator II
- CSS Generator
External Style Sheets and RootsWeb WorldConnect
Tutorials from Tina Clarke
- FrontPage 2003 and Cascading Style Sheets (two part article)
- Cleaning Up Your FrontPage Code
CSS Based Menus
- Horizontal Menus
- Vertical Menus
Additional Style Sheet Resources

Color

Need help picking Colors??
- Color Palette Creator - This is one I use quite frequently.
- Color Chart Picker
- Color Wheel Pro Sample Color Chart
- A Color Scheme Tool
- Color Scheme Generator II
- Color Schemer Online
- Color Table
- Color Jack
- CSS Color Chart
- Color Combinations
  - Brown Color Combinations

Graphics

A Tutorial For Getting Graphics Onto Your Web Pages
FREE programs for graphics
- Easy Thumbnails - Easy Thumbnails is a popular free utility for creating accurate thumbnail images and scaled-down/up copies from a wide range of popular picture formats. By the makers of NoteTab and NoteTab Lite.
- A Smaller Image - With the intuitive, single-screen interface of A Smaller Image, reducing digital photos is a really easy. Select the output size and pick just the right part of a picture to keep.

Layouts and Templates

Need a good source for layouts to get you started? Try any of the listings below. Remember, when just starting out - simple is better. Some of the templates may require a link back to the designer's site.

Inknoise Layout-o-matic
Blue Robots Layout Reservoir
Open Source Templates
Mollio CSS/HTML Templates
Free CSS Based Layout Templates by Pat Geary
Free DWT's by Cheryl Wise

Search Engine Optimization Techniques

SEO Training Class - Do you want to learn the basics of SEO Techniques? This is a highly structured search engine optimization training class. The online class is FREE and email based to learn at your own pace. Memberships are NOT approved until ALL registration steps are complete, including joining the Successful Website Marketing Class. The free training is structured similar to an online classroom rather than an interactive group or forum.
- Overview of The Classes
- Registration Steps for Classes

Tools

Web Developer Toolbars - If you are a developer of web pages, then one of the indispensible tools you can use is the web developer toolbar. There is one available for Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera. I also use the Web Accessibility Toolbar and the Link Checker for Firefox.

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