HTML 5 Introduction

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Install an HTML Text Editor

Learning Objectives

  • Identify desirable features in an HTML editor.
  • Compare two or more HTML editors.
  • Report your comparison to other participants of this class
  • Select an HTML editor for your personal use
  • Summarize the reason(s) that led you to choose your specific editor
  • Use your editor to produce a simple HTML page

Task Materials

For this course we need an HTML editing tool. There are many to choose from. We do not need many advanced features for this basic course so pick a simple text editor with syntax highlighting.

Online HTML editors

There are several HTML editors that you can use in your web browser:

  • Mozilla Thimble - Recommended to use on this course. Provides direct visual feedback, syntax highlighting, and easy publishing.
  • HTML Pad (Mozilla online HTML editor)
  • JS Fiddle (JavaScript, CSS, and HTML editor online)

Free/Open Source Text Editors

The following text editors have syntax highlighting and are Free/Open Source tools:

  • Bluefish (GNU/Linux, Mac OSX, Microsoft Windows)
  • Geany (GNU/Linux, Microsoft Windows)
  • gEdit (GNU/Linux, Mac OSX, Microsoft Windows)
  • jEdit (GNU/Linux, Mac OSX,Microsoft Windows)
  • Notepad++ (Microsoft Windows)

Advanced Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)

Task Discussion


  • Paolo Vagnini   Aug. 14, 2012, 5:55 a.m.

    The desirable features for an html editor are syntax coloring, code completion and hints during the editing.

    In the past i've used TextWrangler (Mac) for testing code written in some other language (C, Fortran, php): it has syntax coloring for a lot of different languages, it is fast and powerful, and it's free.

    Now, i've just tried Mozilla Thimble and i think it's cool because i can immediately see the results of my code and it has all the other desirable features i've listed.

  • al read   Aug. 14, 2012, 5:58 a.m.
    In Reply To:   Paolo Vagnini   Aug. 14, 2012, 5:55 a.m.
    Thanks for your message. I will be out of the office on annual leave until Monday 20th August If your enquiry is urgent, please SMS me on my mobile. Kind regards, Alan Read Head of Learning Technologies Learning Technologies Group Pearson UK +44 (0) 7703 750913 This email was sent by a company owned by Pearson plc, registered office at 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL. Registered in England and Wales with company number 53723
  • Courtney Elizabeth   Aug. 13, 2012, 9:10 p.m.

    Going to give Mozilla Thimble a try. The interface looks clean and easy to use.

  • al read   Aug. 13, 2012, 9:12 p.m.
    In Reply To:   Courtney Elizabeth   Aug. 13, 2012, 9:10 p.m.
    Thanks for your message. I will be out of the office on annual leave until Monday 20th August If your enquiry is urgent, please SMS me on my mobile. Kind regards, Alan Read Head of Learning Technologies Learning Technologies Group Pearson UK +44 (0) 7703 750913 This email was sent by a company owned by Pearson plc, registered office at 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL. Registered in England and Wales with company number 53723
  • saravanan   Aug. 12, 2012, 10:32 p.m.

    I use mozilla thimble. Simple,quick view of output and publish. All at one place.

  • al read   Aug. 12, 2012, 10:35 p.m.
    In Reply To:   saravanan   Aug. 12, 2012, 10:32 p.m.
    Thanks for your message. I will be out of the office on annual leave until Monday 20th August If your enquiry is urgent, please SMS me on my mobile. Kind regards, Alan Read Head of Learning Technologies Learning Technologies Group Pearson UK +44 (0) 7703 750913 This email was sent by a company owned by Pearson plc, registered office at 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL. Registered in England and Wales with company number 53723
  • Motlar   July 26, 2012, 6:05 p.m.

    I'd normally go with Notepad++ due to familiarity. However I plan on using Mozilla Thimble in order to ease the the publishing of completed tasks for this challenge.

  • Marco Antonio González Gómez-Caro   July 26, 2012, 12:23 p.m.

    I'll try to use both Mozilla Thimble and Sublime Text. This last one has been highly recommended in a HTML5 community. I'll tell you how it is.

  • PoweredByLinux   July 26, 2012, 12:09 a.m.

    I'm planning on using "JSBin" which I am going to assume is just like JS Fiddle. However I am rather new at this myself, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

  • parallel   July 21, 2012, 7:34 p.m.

    installed notepad ++, mainly because it had one click download.  total newb here, and the other stuff had a whole bunch of questions and different choices etc.  if it's harder than one click, then i don't need it!

  • m@rtie   July 21, 2012, 4:59 p.m.

    Notepad++ is the most effective for me, however, jEdit is equally as powerful.

  • sjasti   July 21, 2012, 3:10 p.m.

     

    Reasons for choosing -

     

    First let me mention why i have not chosen some of them

     

    1. I use Mac OS and hence i don't have an option to try 

    a. Geany

    b. Notepad++

    2. Not choosing Advanced Integrated Development Environments because it takes lot of disk space installing all the unwanted tools and plugins for my course. I am looking for something light weight and has features that would enable me to write code and learn.

    3. Online tools are great but i wanted to have something to work on when i am offline too.

    4. gEdit and jEdit seem to me more of text editors which has syntax highlight features for various programming languages. I am looking for web developer editor, which gives me the flexibility of auto complete.

    5. So what left is Bluefish and BlueGriffon. I am going to try both. 

  • Karaitiana   July 18, 2012, 7:41 a.m.

    I use jEdit, following move from Windows PC to Linux.  Used Notepad++ on Windows.

  • khaosstar   July 14, 2012, 10:21 p.m.

    I used Notepadd++ years ago but figured I would check out a few of the ones listed here. I ultimately went with Bluefish - simple yet powerful.

  • mtillson   July 7, 2012, 1:29 a.m.

    I use Notepad++ but am interested in the others listed, and will try them... or a few of them.  Looking forward to this challenge.

  • chinnan   July 6, 2012, 11:03 p.m.

    I have installed Notepad++.

  • Jasper.dg   July 4, 2012, 7:45 a.m.

    Love NotePad++ but will give Bluefish a try

  • Anonym   June 24, 2012, 4:22 p.m.

    I am using SUBLIME

    you all should try it belive me ;)

  • Naku Mayo   June 22, 2012, 5:17 p.m.

    I will be using gEdit and Eclipse. I have both installed on my Mac so either one will work.

  • hamilton mena quejada   June 21, 2012, 3:07 p.m.

    I'LL use Geany, DreamWave cs5, Notepad++ and Bluefish .

  • sclopez   June 17, 2012, 12:48 p.m.

    I'll use notepad++

  • Justin   June 13, 2012, 4:24 a.m.

    I installed WebMaster Lite on my Transformer Prime for this course.

  • mtenne   June 12, 2012, 10:14 p.m.

    Installed BlueGriffon.  I'm brand new to HTML so I was looking for something simple and user friendly.