4/57.2.4 HTML editors
Several HTML editors are available at the moment. We only want to briefly mention a few of them.
HTML Assistant
One of the most popular editors for Microsoft Windows is the HTML Assistant. There are two different versions: a commercial version called HTML Assistant Pro and a free version HTML Assistant. HTML Assistant is a hypertext editor for creating and editing documents for the WWW. It permits you to validate and test your work with the browsers of your choice without leaving the editor. In addition to its editing facilities, HTML Assistant incorporates features which can help you to organize and keep track of the Web resources that you use. The HTML documents created with HTML Assistant can be displayed on any computer for which browser software exists including PCs, Apple Macintosh, UNIX and simple terminal based systems. HTML Assistant has additional features including:
- an automatic HTML page creator plus pushbutton templates for forms and tables to get you up and running quickly;
- the ability to edit files of any size;
- toolbar support for HTML level 2 and HTML level 3 tags including forms, tables and background designs;
- formatting filters that make it easy to create readable documents from HTML files;
- timesaving file and URL search features;
- a printed manual.
Easy HTML
Easy HTML, written by Mike Gebis at NCSA, is an HTML editing system that uses your browser as a display. As you add sections to your document, Easy HTML gives you feedback as to how your document will look. Easy HTML is not for everyone; some of the complexity of HTML has been omitted. However, if you do not want to learn HTML, or do not need some of the more exotic features, or just need a simple document, Easy HTML might be your solution.
Internet Assistant
Internet Assistant for Microsoft Word is a free add-on to Microsoft Word that lets users create, share and explore information on the Internet right from within Microsoft Word. It is a template package for Microsoft Word that provides an impressive WYSIWYG environment for creating HTML documents. But not only editing or creating Web pages is possible with the Internet Assistant, you can also use it as a Web browser. Buttons like History, Open/Add favorites, URL and Home show that it is a small browser tool. Clicking on a link is also possible. The Internet Assistant loads the document from the Web and uses Microsoft Word to display the document, even with all images. The only disadvantage of the Internet Assistant is its performance. Loading and displaying a document with the help of Microsoft Word macros is not as fast as with an ordinary browser tool.
SoftQuad´s HoTMetaL Pro 2.0
HoTMetal Pro is a commercial product, but a free version, HoTMetaL, is also available for free via FTP. The commercial version, HoTMetaL Pro, has more features and comes as a stand-alone program, so it does not require a word processor. With HoTMetaL it is very easy to create hypertext linked, multi-media Web documents for Mosaic, Netscape or any other WWW browser. HoTMetaL PRO helps you to publish home pages, order forms, data sheets, any type of Web document you want. Creating a new document is easy, just open a template and start typing. Next, choose HTML tags from a list of currently valid elements. Adding a hypertext link is just a matter of copying and pasting the URLs for the document to which you want to point. Or use HoTMetaL PRO's URL Editor to insert URLs.
HoTMetaL PRO displays HTML tags and URLs, making it easy to distinguish them from the rest of your document. Hide the tags, change the formatting, and display graphics inline for a WYSIWYG view of your document. Or click on Preview to fire up your favorite Web browser for a view of your document as it will appear on the Web.
Some features of HoTMetaL Pro 2.0:
- a new user interface with redesigned dialogs, toolbars, floating windows, etc.;
- HTML elements can be added from a toolbar. Common operations also done from the toolbar. Toolbars are also tear-away palettes;
- supports most Netscape and HTML 3.0 extensions, such as `Background' and `HTML3.0 Tables';
- keyboard and toolbar interface to inserting markup: simplified interface to creating HTML documents which more closely matches the operation of traditional word processors;
- import and conversion of files from other applications, including popular word processing applications such as Word and WordPerfect (not available for Macintosh version);
- enhanced URL support: hotlists and pasting of URLs is supported;
- find & replace of elements and attribute values using regular
expressions.