We said that we will deal about free HTML editors to use. Here are three of them.
Chami HTML is an editor a bit more special. After its installation, the code can be used for absolutely all the requirements of a Web designer – including creating other codes. The program can be improved by installing additional plug-ins, that can be downloaded (also for free) from chami.com site. In general, someone who knows Html syntax will find this editor very easy to work with. There is still advisable to try it if you are not willing to “invest” too much money in your Website.
Ace HTML Freeware has a pleasant interface and is easy to understand, and works with a main window or an editing area (right) and an organizational area (left) where you can enter various instructions automatically, so you can edit files. The program has tools for almost everything you need in order to have a website: tools that help you to insert images, image maps, frames, to format tables and so on.
There is a library of HTML instructions, which will help you to format properly a statement of which you are unsure. Basically, you do not even need to know how to write Html code, you simply must not make a mistake when inserting the page elements you want; that’s why it’s good exercise and do this firstly with a single page. Unfortunately, it will be a little more difficult to insert Flash animations (but not impossible). This editor contains a JavaScript library of over 170 sites that can be very helpful to you.
First Page is a very powerful HTML editor preferred by many professional Web designers. What it offers is simply amazing and surpasses in many respects Web design software offered for money. As in Ace HTML, there are tools for everything you need to be entered into a Web page, including a library of HTML instructions, you can create template code, you can edit them in other projects, you can organize your projects, which is especially useful when you have to work on several sites at once. The tool also has introduced a roll-over image.
When talking about image editors, for no doubt, the best alternative to a strong program such as Adobe Photoshop is GIMP. GIMP is an open-source image editor (which means, essentially, that it can be used free of charge) and provides users with most classic functions of a program having similar performance, but bought, not freeware. GIMP can do advanced processing of images and animations. The program has a major collection of special effects and has the option of inserting maps and images. Although originally developed for users of Linux, GIMP works without problems on Windows too, but the users have to previously install the the Runtime Environment (which can usually be downloaded with GIMP).
Another interesting photo editor is VCW VicMan’s Photoeditor: is freeware, but it lacks one essential function: work-based files. The Web design is crucial to graphics and you must have the opportunity of organizing your files independent one of each other.
Unfortunately, there is currently no satisfactory solution for the replacement of paid programs that can draw Flash animations. This is bad news. The good news, on the contrary, is that for a high quality site, you do not even need to use Flash. In general, the use of Flash animation on those sites can count on the fact that their typical visitor will come back there, but not to see those animations, except if you are launching a site with Flash games.
However, if you plan to submit on your Website, information of general interest, an image of that business activity, or a product catalog, using Flash animation is more than ok. The visitor who came there to find relevant information will learn more and will not migrate quickly to other sites. A disadvantage would be that these sites load more difficult than others that don’t use Flash technology and give the desired information immediately.
However, for those who really want to use animation on their website, you may use a free program like Liveswif Lite. Liveswif is one of many programs that have developed in recent years as cheap alternatives to Macromedia Flash (the most famous being Swish, KoolMoves and Firestarter). The “Lite” variant helps you enough, including images, but not all available offers can pass through ActionScript. This means that if you want to order an action, however simple, you might not be able to do that, because the script doesn’t allow you to. However, if you want the animation to not run forever on your site, you can stop this by using the command stop () and specifying the page’s source code <param value=”false”>.
In addition, another thing worth knowing before working with Liveswif is, of course, the way in which the animation itself works. Although Liveswif Lite has an interface similar to other programs, working with it is hindered by the lack of a tutorial and animations. For example, in Flash, a simple right click on the time line followed by “Insert motion” automatically inserts the desired animation. In Liveswif this is done from the Insert menu> Transform motion.
Once we’re “armed” with programs that we need to build the website we want, we can start working. Even if you do not need to be masters in this, however, you must know something about HTML, in particular, and about Web porgramming in general.
