HTML editor vs. WYSIWYG editor, CSS

[DaveC]

I need some sage advice.

For years I have been using a HTML editor (HomeSite 3) to produce crude web
sites, mostly travelogs with text and a few clickable thumbnails leading to
larger images. When I get going I usually produce a marginally navigable
mess with sub pages and sub-sub pages.
Check http://www.davearoundtheworld.org/s_chile/index.html as an example.

These crude pages take me a lot of time. I would like to improve my web
site creation process so it is easier. I don't want to introduce anything
fancy beyond maybe a navigation panel along the side of each page. No
guestbooks, dancing dogs, clickable maps, etc.

I bought a copy of MS Front Page 2003, but I am put off by the (looks to me)
very complicated HTML code generated by such WYSIWYG editors.

Should I stick with the old HTML editor and learn, for example, CSS to
simplify the production of a site? Or should I chuck it all and go over to
FrontPage or something similar; forget about ever understanding the source
HTML they produce?

Any opinions?

DaveC

[Mark Parnell]

Deciding to do something for the good of humanity, DaveC
<dc******@nospam.san.rr.com> declared in
comp.infosystems.www.authoring.html:

I need some sage advice.
No one else seems to be around at the moment, so you'll have to do with
mine.
I bought a copy of MS Front Page 2003, but I am put off by the (looks to me)
very complicated HTML code generated by such WYSIWYG editors.
Let's be honest - the code produced is simply rubbish. And FrontPage is
the worst of the lot.
Should I stick with the old HTML editor and learn, for example, CSS to
simplify the production of a site?
Absolutely. There are plenty of basic templates you could start from.
And once set up, it should take very little work to add pages etc.
Any opinions?

You'll find plenty of those - the majority of the ones in this group
will be much the same as mine I'd imagine.

--
Mark Parnell
My Usenet is improved; yours could be too:
http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html

[Chaddy2222]

DaveC wrote:

I need some sage advice.

For years I have been using a HTML editor (HomeSite 3) to produce crude web
sites, mostly travelogs with text and a few clickable thumbnails leading to
larger images. When I get going I usually produce a marginally navigable
mess with sub pages and sub-sub pages.
Check http://www.davearoundtheworld.org/s_chile/index.html as an example.

These crude pages take me a lot of time. I would like to improve my web
site creation process so it is easier. I don't want to introduce anything
fancy beyond maybe a navigation panel along the side of each page. No
guestbooks, dancing dogs, clickable maps, etc.

I bought a copy of MS Front Page 2003, but I am put off by the (looks to me)
very complicated HTML code generated by such WYSIWYG editors.

Should I stick with the old HTML editor and learn, for example, CSS to
simplify the production of a site? Or should I chuck it all and go over to
FrontPage or something similar; forget about ever understanding the source
HTML they produce? First of all, you could perhaps map out what you want to do on your
site before designing it, for example, maybe draw a layout on paper
before taking it to the web.
Then, you could use a range of tools to create the required output.
For example, you could use a text editor, such as NotePad, or HTML-Kit,
or you could use a WYSIWYG Editor such as NVU, http://www.nvu.com which
is quite good for simple pages.
Or for what you want to do, a CMS (Content management System), is what
you might be after.
Check out Mambo Open Source.
and PHP-Nuke.
I hope this helps.
P.S, is this what your kind of after, http://freewebdesign.cjb.cc
That site I made with a simple two colum table, but you might wish to
use CSS instead.
I am considering useing CSS for layout, or part their of as you get
better control over various functions.
--
Regards Chad. http://www.freewebdesign.cjb.cc/design-tips.html
Any opinions?

DaveC

[Neredbojias]

To further the education of mankind, "DaveC"
<dc******@nospam.san.rr.com> vouchsafed:

I need some sage advice.

For years I have been using a HTML editor (HomeSite 3) to produce
crude web sites, mostly travelogs with text and a few clickable
thumbnails leading to larger images. When I get going I usually
produce a marginally navigable mess with sub pages and sub-sub pages.
Check http://www.davearoundtheworld.org/s_chile/index.html as an
example.

These crude pages take me a lot of time. I would like to improve my
web site creation process so it is easier. I don't want to introduce
anything fancy beyond maybe a navigation panel along the side of each
page. No guestbooks, dancing dogs, clickable maps, etc.

I bought a copy of MS Front Page 2003
One time I bought a copy of Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life" simply
because I was trying to modernize my music collection.
but I am put off by the (looks
to me) very complicated HTML code generated by such WYSIWYG editors.
Probably wrong, too.
Should I stick with the old HTML editor and learn, for example, CSS to
simplify the production of a site? Or should I chuck it all and go
over to FrontPage or something similar; forget about ever
understanding the source HTML they produce?

You should use a plain-text editor, spend a month or so learning html and a
little css, and then all your pages after that will seem to fly right off
your fingers because you will know what you are doing. I can make even a
moderately complicated page in an hour, but I put in the "front" (not
FrontPage) time.

--
Neredbojias
Infinity has its limits.

[Andy Dingley]

DaveC wrote:

These crude pages take me a lot of time. I would like to improve my web
site creation process so it is easier.

Learn some rudimentary CSS. Borrow CSS templates from a _good_ site
that you like.

Learning enough CSS to make use of an existing stylesheet is easy. It
also then only requires simple HTML which can be easily hand-edited
through Notepad.

Knowing enough CSS to _write_ a stylesheet is harder. A _good_
stylesheet is even harder! Even learning to spot what's "good
re-usable CSS" isn't as easy as it might seem, so borrow your code from
the good template sites (try bluerobot)


Alternatively go down the CMS route - get a weblog.

[DaveC]

Thanks for all of the above advice. I think I will stick with HTML and look
for some CSS templates.

DaveC