Don't laugh, I want a wysiwyg editor

[mykbury]

Can anyone recommend a free wysiwyg editor that won't alter your code arbitrarily like Front Page Etc?

[sciguyryan]

Wrong section, this section is for DHTML ONLY, this should be in the General Section I suppose.

http://www.chami.com/html-kit/

Have a look at that, not shure if thats exactly what you want but....

RyanJ

[mykbury]

Thanks Ryan.
I'm new at this message board stuff and I've noted your tip.

[Charles]

The only acceptable WYSIWYG is Amaya.

[David Harrison]

Well, I have heard good things about Dreamweaver but it ain't free *cough*Ares*cough* and although it may not quite match up to Amaya in terms of code generated, it is feature rich. Although I have not had much experience with Amaya so perhaps that outstrips DW by miles.

PS. Don't download illegal software, every time you do God kills a kitten.

Moved to General.

[PeOfEo]

Originally posted by mykbury
Can anyone recommend a free wysiwyg editor that won't alter your code arbitrarily like Front Page Etc?

why do you want to use a wysiwyg exactly?

[theuedimaster]

Because they're nice, fuzzy, and you can pet them.

Actually, IMO, i think that they're good for tinkering around with designs, to make them look good in terms of pixels. Very nice and easy. It is good and easy to switch from preview in firefox to design mode. Plus the syntax highlighting and overall design of interface is very nice. CSS helping in coding is also very nice.

[PeOfEo]

wysiwyg refers strictly to the "drawing" aspect of it. Where what you see is what the editor is cooking up. I find I can be far more accurate for far more platforms at any resolution by just doing it by hand. I have not used every wysiyg editor ever, but I have used the dw one just to dabble around and found it to be annoying.

[Charles]

The whole problem is with the idea of thinkng about the page visually. If you do that then your page is likely to only work on visual browsers. If you think about the meaning and structure of the page, mark that up and then use CSS to lay a visual layer on top then your page will work on all browsers.

Amaya ia acceptable only because it forces you to think about the meaning of your mark up.

[mykbury]

To answer a question above:

I'm a dabbler, not an expert. Haven't even gotten around to CSS yet.

I've been using Front Page Express to get what's in my mind down on the page QUICKLY and SIMPLY. Then I use a proper editor to straighten out the code to my liking and apply the more sophisicated techniques I've learned.

Occasionally, before the page nears it's completed form, and again for the sake of speed and simplicity, it would be convenient to go back and knock the page about visually, but without having the code I've added altered, as does FPE and others.

For example, at a simple level...

Say I've completed a page. I've presented my code in logical fashion and carefully laid it out for easy scanning/maintenance.

Belatedly I decide I want to insert a table containing images and text. What might take me ten minutes 'by hand' will take me only two using Front Page Express. But the rub is, that when I go to tidy up the additional code, I find my original coding all over the place and even altered.

You see? I'd like to have my cake and eat it.

This is no big deal. Take it easy guys.

[mykbury]

PS. Perhaps, having re-read your replies and my post above, my use of the term wysiwyg was misleading.

If so, apologies.

[PeOfEo]

I really think you should consider just learning css and html the old fashioned way. If you are using a wysiwyg you are cheating yourself.

[mykbury]

I think that last poster 'really' missed the point.

Enough of this chaps (and chapesses).

Let's bury it.

[PeOfEo]

Originally posted by mykbury
I think that last poster 'really' missed the point.

Enough of this chaps (and chapesses).

Let's bury it.

+

Originally posted by mykbury

I'm a dabbler, not an expert. Haven't even gotten around to CSS yet.

If you have not yet learned css a wysiwyg is not going to help you learn it. It is not rocket science to learn, you just need to jump into it and practice it if you do infact intend to learn it.

The fundamental problem with a wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) is that you do not get what you see. You are generally going to get bad code (I am speaking in general, some editors spit out better code then others), and the code is generally not going to go cross platform or cross resolution well. If you do not wish to spend time in the future tweaking it to get it right you should probably avoid the wysiwyg path.

I did not miss your point, I read your posts. I am just trying to give you my thoughts.

[Zekintha]

Sorry to butt in, but...what's a wysiwyg editor? Like...properties? And why would you want one?