Web site creation can be a daunting process for the new user. Even an advanced user can, at times, wish for an easier process. WYSISWYG editors, or What You See Is What You Get editors, make a more user friendly building experience possible. They are known as what you see is what you get because they hide the code from the user, instead presenting a user friendly interface for editing and authoring web sites.\
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One of the most well known editors of this type is Microsoft’s Frontpage. Frontpage hides the raw code from the user, instead allowing you to make changes through a user friendly interface. It supports HTML and CSS, and helps with common scripts such as email forms. When a URL is changed, all corresponding URLs on other pages are changed as well, a function that takes the best of Cascading Style Sheets and applies it without forcing you to learn CSS syntax.
There are many programs that are classified as what you see is what you get editors. One of the other popular options is called Dreamweaver. Dreamweaver is produced by Adobe, the same company who is responsible for Adobe Acrobat Reader and Adobe Flash Player. There are several other options for WYSIWYG editors, but Frontpage and Dreamweaver are the most recognizable and most widely supported. These types of editors can be of great help if you do not have the time to learn a useful amount of HTML or CSS. Instead of trying to cram all the necessary codes and commands into your brain, you can have WYSISWYG editors do the basic functions for you. FrontPage, Dreamweaver and other programs operating on the same premise can be very powerful tools, letting you see, instantly, the effect of any changes you might make to your content. It is visually forgiving in that you can eyeball what your website will actually look like in a web browser. Being able to see the effect of one’s changes on a dummy web site before publishing them live to your web host is very helpful and allows you to understand the effects of your commands right away.
WYSIWYG editors let you replicate the functions of CSS by applying a command to an element throughout the pages being edited. Dreamweaver, however, supports the use of CSS syntax for those users who are more advanced. This means that a customizable level of difficulty is available. All of these programs also support HTML. Frequently these programs are offered by companies that also produce other software. Adobe was mentioned above, for example. Because of this it is sometimes possible to get packages of many useful products in a bundle with your web site editor. Not only can you create a web site, but you may also be able to create graphics, flash movies, and other enhancements with these product bundles. When translating your Dreamweaver or Frontpage website to a host, be sure you choose a host that supports the necessary extensions. Some web hosts might even be Frontpage web hosts in that they offer the program with some of their packages.
Frontpage works through extensions, which are scripts specific to the program that run things like hit counters and calendars. When a web host supports these scripts, it means the host will properly translate the extensions you’ve already chosen for your site. It is worth it to note that Frontpage refers to these scripts as Web Bots. Frontpage is especially accessible to people who are already familiar with other Microsoft programs, as it uses an interface similar to that used in Microsoft Office.
Many of the most popular and affordable web hosting providers support Frontpage. InMotion, HostMonster, Webhostingpad, and others can be used easily with Frontpage. With tools like this almost anyone can make an attractive web site, and the necessary hosting services are affordable and will offer yet more ways to enhance what you’ve already created. There are some downsides to programs like Frontpage and Dreamweaver. Often the code created by these programs is more unwieldy than hand authored code, causing browsers to load more slowly. It can be difficult to deal directly with the FrontPage extensions, as they are nigh invisible and working away in the background. This has even caused some people to turn off the interface entirely! Of course this causes a huge loss of functionality. Still, if you are looking to design a web page and you are a beginning or intermediate user, Dreamweaver, FrontPage, and other programs like them can help you create web sites with professional polish.
