Web Authoring Tools

Back in the Dark Ages of the Internet (little more than a year ago), those brave adventurers who decided to take on the challenge of developing a Web page did so with simple, primitive tools. They wrestled to learn an obscure language with an unpronouncable name, and considered what-you-see-is-what-you-get a fantasy.

How things change. These days, everyone -- from members of the Fortune 500 to Grandma -- wants a presence on the net. So it shouldn't be surprising that the tools to create Web pages have improved dramatically in a short period of time. With them, almost anyone with a little creativity (and a not inconsiderable amount of free time) can look like a well-wired professional.

Tag, You're It!

When you call up a Web page with your favorite browser, the server with which you are talking typically sends the browser a file containing commands that describe how the page should look on screen. If the author of the Web page wants to say, "Now is the time" on your screen and have the word "time" appear in bold, the Web page file says, in effect, to your browser: "Write the words, 'Now is the time,' then start to use boldface type, print the word 'time,' then quit boldfacing and return to using plain type."

The language that the server and the browser use to communicate is called HyperText Markup Language (HTML). One of the HTML commands for most browsers to accomplish the previous example would be "Now is the time."The "" tag tells the browser to start printing in bold and the "" tells it to turn bold off.

You might expect that to print something in italics, you would surround it with "" and "", and you would be right. (Congratulations.) That is the essence of HTML: You turn on a feature with a "tag," then turn it off with a corresponding tag that is usually the initial tag prefixed with a slash. (having flashbacks to WordStar for DOS?)

While it might seem fairly straightforward to assemble a Web page using tags, it can become mind-numbingly complex when you try to combine type styles, visual effects, graphics, and pointers to other Web sites. One mistakenly typed or forgotten tag, and the results can be unexpected, to say the least.

Thus were born HTML editing applications, which ease the creation process by helping the author keep track of, or even ignore, all those tags. They also help make sure Web authors end up with the page they had in mind in the first place. Sorta the way modern word processors have taken away the need to type in codes.

HTML Editing Tools

While dozens of HTML editing tools exist for the Macintosh, they tend to fall into three categories:

* WYSIWYG Editors. Rather than deal with HTML tags, WYSIWYG (or, What You See Is What You Get) editors let you pretend you're sitting inside your Web browser, throwing text on the screen. With them, you don't have to think about what tag to use to turn on boldface; you just highlight the text and select "bold" from a menu. The editors worry about what tags to use, and prevent common mistakes, like forgetting the trailing tag, from happening.

WYSIWYG editors are terrific for beginners to use, since they allow you to quickly put together a Web page. But in isolating users from the complexities of HTML, they simultaneously sequester them from its power. So, for instance, if you want to take advantage of a feature of the ever-evolving HTML command set that your editor does not understand, you're out of luck.

More importantly, WYSIWYG editors vary dramatically in how well they represent what you will eventually see in your Web browser. Some offer only a close approximation, and many do not make it possible to actually see and test graphics and links to other pages on the Internet.

* Text Assistants. The most primitive of the bunch, text assistants assume you are a deft, nimble Web walker who loves dealing in arcane codes but would not mind a little help along the way. These utilities work in tandem with a simple text processor, but give the user features to highlight text, select "bold" from a menu, and watch the appropriate tags applied to the text. Unlike WYSIWYG editors, however, the text remains un-bolded on screen.

The disadvantages of this method are obvious: In order for you to see what the Web page will look like, it must be loaded into a browser. This takes time and adds a manual step to the creation process. But the advantage of text assistants is that they put the Web page author in complete control. You don't have to worry about whether a feature of HTML you wish to use is supported by your editor, for example.

* Export Utilities. If you wanted to put together a page of text to be printed on paper, what tool would you use? Microsoft Word? WordPerfect? FrameMaker? The idea behind export utilities is that there is no good reason why you should not be able to use those same tools to develop a Web page, as well. Once you have assembled the text the way you want it to look, you simply hand it off to the export utility to convert from the word processor or page layout program's format into HTML.

The main problem with this method is that the features in the word processor probably don't match those of HTML. So you might be able to wrap text in a spiral around a graphic on paper, but that isn't possible yet in HTML. And while HTML has a way of expressing pointers to other Web sites, word processors generally do not have any idea there is a world out there to point to.

A Few Words to the Wise

Some moments with any of these tools make it very clear that there's a long way to go before the ideal tool for a wide range of authors is available and able to make us cheer. HTML Pro probably offers the best combination of features for most authors; its simultaneous display of HTML tags and what they produce not only gives professionals the power they require, but it also helps turn new Web publishers into experienced authors by showing them the effect of their actions immediately. On the following pages, we look at an assortment of Web editing tools; but don't take our word for it: You can also learn more about HTML editing software from Jon Wiederspan's guide (http://www.uwtc.washington.edu/Computing/WWW/Mac/Directory.html). -- Robert Hess

wysiwyg editors

The ideal WYSIWYG editor combines the visual aspects of a good browser like Netscape with the tools needed for nitty-gritty editing. It should display graphics, not just references to them, and support the newest HTML codes, including those proposed for HTML 3.0.

Even the best WYSIWYG editor cannot handle all HTML tags, however. For example, we tested all WYSIWYG editors with a complex table that challenges even the Netscape browser. None of them could properly display it.

HTML Pro

Current version: 1.08
Requirements: 500 Kb RAM
Author: Niklas Frykholm
(http://www.ts.umu.se:80/~r2d2/shareware/htmlpro_help.html)
Platform: Mac
Cost: $5

HTML Pro offers a great environment for both novices and experts. It displays two editable windows: The source window shows the HTML code being edited, while the preview window provides a WYSIWYG display. Changes made to one window are instantly reflected in the other -- a nice touch.

This means novice users can start out in the preview window and watch the HTML representation being built as they work. Once they become comfortable with HTML coding, they can switch to working in the source window. Unfortunately, though, HTML Pro does not display in-line graphics or URLs.

The utility has some interesting ideas on what a Macintosh application should look like, using non-standard fonts at times, but it is not too disconcerting.

Webtor (WEB ediTOR)

Current version: 0.91
Requirements: 1 Mb RAM
Author: Jochen Schales
(http://www.igd.fhg.de/~neuss/webtor/webtor.html)
Platform: Mac
Cost: Free

This is an early version of what will likely evolve into a great tool for beginners. Webtor shows its youth through its inability to support more complex and newer HTML tags, but it's fairly easy to use and does a good job of isolating the author from the complexities of HTML. It displays text, URLs, and in-line graphics on screen. It also supports the newer HTML proposed standards.

A "Document Structure" window displays a hierarchical vision into the document, and an "Inspector" window shows all styles applied to the text surrounding the insertion point. These tools are invaluable to a tag-free editor, and are well-implemented.

There is no way to alternate between displaying HTML tags and WYSIWYG, so some users may quickly outgrow Webtor.

Arachnid

Current version: 1.4
Requirements: 2 Mb of RAM
Author: Robert McBurney
(http://sec-look.uiowa.edu/about/projects/arachnid-page.html)
Platform: Mac
Cost: Free

Arachnid shows great promise, with on-screen support for most HTML tags. Unfortunately, we had considerable trouble keeping the product running long enough for a good workout, and some features never worked well. Menu items would refuse to do anything but flash; the importing of files resulted in a crash; and Arachnid's basis on SuperCard means it can be very slow and memory hungry.

Arachnid also has a number of irritants, such as its inability to link to a graphic that is not contained in the Arachnid folder. Once you get the graphic placed, it displays in black and white, even though Arachnid's Open dialog makes it clear the program knows how to interpret color images.

Arachnid does shine in the creation of forms, however. It offers all standard components, and handles auto-placement of them well on-screen. It also includes excellent documentation.

HoTMetaL Pro

Current version: 1.0
Requirements: 8 Mb RAM
Author: SoftQuad Corp.
(http:www.sq.com/hmpro.html)
Platform: MS-Windows, Mac, UNIX
Cost: $195

HoTMetaL Pro is a popular product in the Windows and XWindows world, though based on the Mac product, it's hard to imagine why. Although it provides useful features, like a spelling checker, a search/replace function, and a thesaurus, it demands a ton of memory to run, and its interface is awkward to use.

Instead of using text tags in the edit window, it uses graphic representations of the tags. This is good, since it eliminates the possibility that the user will inadvertently delete part of a tag. But it has a bad side: The graphic tags take up more space on screen. Luckily, they are hideable with a single keypress.

Text Assistants

The ideal text assistants offer a simple interface on top of the entire HTML command set, and clearly distinguish HTML tags from standard text.

Most operate by letting the user type the text that will be displayed on the Web page, then highlight parts of the text and select a menu item or button to apply some HTML attribute, such as boldfacing.

HTML.edit

Current version: 1.7
Requirements: 2 MB RAM
Author: Murray Altheim (http://www.metrics.nttc. edu/tools/htmledit/HTMLEdit.html)
Platform: Mac
Cost: Free for personal use

HTML Edit does an excellent job of putting a friendlier face on top of HTML. While it does not offer any sort of preview facility short of a button to switch to your favorite browser, nearly every feature of HTML, including many newer tags, are accessible from simple-to-use dialog boxes and pop-up menus.

The utility shows an HTML editing window divided into three panes: header, body, and footer. No attempt is made at differentiating HTML tags from standard text.

The only major flaw of HTML.edit is its reliance on HyperCard: It was built on top of HyperCard as a stand-alone application. This means per-formance can be sluggish, memory requirements are considerable, and the interface is non-standard at times.

Site Writer Pro

Current version: 2.52
Requirements: 2 Mb RAM
Author: Rik Jones
(http://www.rlc.dcccd.edu/Human/SWPro.htm)
Platform: Mac

Cost: $20

Much like HTML.edit, Site Writer Pro splits the edit window into three panes for the header, body, and footer of a document. And also like HTML.edit, Site Writer Pro is built on top of HyperCard, which severely limits its performance.

Almost every HTML command you might want to use is accessible via six palettes, though you must first enter text into the edit window, highlight the text, then select a feature from the palette; no forms-based assistance is offered. Site Writer Pro would be a better product if it offered a true interface, like HTML.edit.

One strength of Site Writer Pro is its support of even the most recently proposed extensions to the HTML tag set.

Web Weaver

Current version: 2.5.1
Requirements: 700 Mb RAM
Author: Robert Best
(http://www.potsdam.edu/Web.Weaver/About.html)
Platform: Mac
Cost: Free

Web Weaver is one of the category of "paste attribute" editors that help isolate the user from the need to know HTML tags, for the most part. The tags themselves are displayed in a different type and color from the standard text, making it easy to distinguish among them.

Web Weaver determines what HTML tags it supports by reading a folder full of external files. While this means it should be easy for the authors to update the product without affecting the application itself, it also results in Web Weaver adding a lot of files to your hard disk and many files to copy, should you wish to move Web Weaver to a floppy.

Simple HTML Editor

Current version: 2.9
Requirements: A copy of HyperCard
Author: Eric Morgan (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/morgan/simple.html)
Platform: Mac
Cost: Free

A great example of truth in advertising, Simple HTML Editor is just that: a very basic text editor with only the barest of HTML editing tools. It in no way distinguishes tags from the text they affect. Thanks to its HyperCard basis, it is slow and memory-hungry.

HTML Editor

Current version: 1.0
Requirements: 2 MB RAM, 68020 or later processor
Author: Rick Giles (http://dragon.acadiau.ca/~giles/HTML Editor/Documentation.html)
Platform: Mac
Cost: $25

HTML Editor is a bit slow in launching and opening files, but once it does so, it provides a good, basic environment in which to work. In the header of an edit window, it offers most commonly used HTML features through pop-up menus and buttons. You highlight the text to be changed and select a feature, then the appropriate tags are applied and shown in grey.

A single mouse click can hide and show HTML tags, but in order to see text styles like bold or italics, you must switch to a browser. A button makes this switch easy, but HTML Editor will not launch your browser for you, and it works only with NCSA Mosaic, not Netscape or MacWeb.

One minor flaw in HTML Editor is its inability to import pre-made HTML documents and display their tags correctly without first "checking" the document. For example, if you import a document and make a word boldfaced, only the tags around that element are recognized by the program and displayed in grey. All other imported tags retain the plain-text style until the check is performed. This can be confusing to a novice.

HTML Editor is one of few text assistant editors that can handle HTML documents that exceed 32 Kb in size.

The utility has not been updated since August 1994, and its age shows. It does not display in-line graphics or specially formatted URLs.

Export Utilities

Ideally, an export or conversion utility makes it easy to compose your Web page in the environment in which you are most familiar, then output HTML text without losing any formatting. The reality is that most word processors and page layout programs can manipulate text with far more precision than HTML, but they fall short in the ability to handle graphics and pointers to network resources.

Microsoft Word

ANT HTML and ANT Plus (http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/Tools/Ant.html)
rtftohtml (ftp://ftp.cray.com/src/WWWstuff/RTF/rtftohtml_overview.html)
rtftoweb (ftp://ftp.rrzn.uni-hannover.de/pub/unix-local/misc/rtftoweb/html/rtftoweb.html)
rtf2html (http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/Tools/HTMLGeneration/rtf2html.html)

All four tools work in tandem with Microsoft Word 6.0 to convert its files to HTML format.

BBEdit

HTML Tools Author: Lindsay Davies (http://www.york.ac.uk/~ld11/BBEditTools.html)
HTML Extensions Author: Carles Bellver (http://www.uji.es/bbedit-html-extensions.html)

Both of these sets of free extensions add to BBEdit's already admirable support for HTML editing. There is a lot of overlap in the two extension sets, though HTML Tools arguably offers more control.

Quark XPress

BeyondPress Author: Astrobyte (phone: 303 534 6344; e-mail: support@astrobyte.com; Web: http://www.astrobyte.com)
XPress to HTML Converter Author: Jeremy Hylton (http://the-tech.mit.edu/~jeremy/qt2www.html)
HTML Xport Author: Eric Knudstrup (ftp://mars.aliens.com/pub/Macintosh/HTMLXport.sit)

These Quark XPress extensions map Quark styles to HTML tags. BeyondPress is a bit easier to use and requires less manual labor.

PageMaker

WebSucker Author: Mitch Cohen (http://www.iii.net/users/mcohen/websucker.html)
Dave Author: Jeff Boulter (http://www.bucknell.edu/bucknellian/dave/)

Both products extract the text from PageMaker documents and export it to HTML. WebSucker runs as a HyperCard stack, while Dave is an AppleScript-reliant application

Nisus

SS-Nisus HTML Macros Author: Sandra Silcot (http://www.unimelb.edu.au/~ssilcot/docs/SilcotsHTMLMacrosReadMe.html)

These Nisus macros automate the conversion of files to HTML.

Claris XTND

Web-It Author: University of Michigan (http://www.umich.edu/~demonner/Primer_main/primer_main.html)
HTML+ Author: Leonard Rosenthol (leonardr@netcom.com)

Any application that supports the Claris XTND technology, such as Claris' own ClarisWorks, can use these filters to convert documents to HTML format. Of the two, HTML+ seems to be the more stable and better supported.

Microsoft Excel

XL2HTML.XLS Author: Jordan Evans (http://www710.gsfc.nasa.gov/704/dgd/xl2html.html)

This Visual Basic macro for Excel helps turn Excel 5.0 data into HTML tables, maintaining simple text formatting.

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