Well, before you can get into Accessibility, you have to be able to write code (and because this is a list I already had finished), so my first official post is a list of Editors you may choose from.
You can write code in something like Notepad, but face it, syntax coloring to spot errors, spellcheckers and the like are all good tools to have. So with no further ranting I offer to you this list of possible editors to choose from. Some I have used, some just heard of.
I have organized it in operating system, Windows, Mac, Linux and then sub devided into Freeware and Shareware. Also a few other editors are metioned specializing for say PHP.
This page may be added or subtracted to as new programs arrive or fall away so you will need to stop by once in a while.
You may also leave comments, but keep in mind that this is to help people, so no flaming. If you noted specific problems or such than feel free to note these, or that as a beginner you found a program quite difficult……. please add only the information that can help someone make a decision and not “It Sucks!”, if you have a solid reason for not liking it, then note it, what is missing or not well done.
HTML Editors
Big Boys
- Macromedia Dreamweaver - The development Standard. Odds are if you try to get a job the company will be using this so it is better to know how to work with it. As excellent site management tools. Works as both code and WYSIWYG per Layout view. Windows / Mac
- Adobe GoLive - Has never really been able to pressure Dreamweaver, however is said to have greatly improved under the Adobe CS line. Windows / Mac
- Microsoft FrontPage - This is Microsoft’s editor. It is a fine program for dragging boxes around. You need not need to know HTML to use it. Older versions used a nasty thing called extensions that needed to be added to servers to get them to work. Under release FP2003, these have been done away with and replaced with JavaScript so they can be used on all servers. Also it is said to be much friendlier to those of us who like to code by hand or clean it’s code. I never suggest earlier FP to anyone but those who just want to do their own site, but 2003 is said to be far better for real developers. Windows / Mac.
[Note: There is also FrontPage Express, a cutdown free version of FP that was earlier available with Office97 and Win98. It is still available for download, but only at third party web sites, so just do a search engine search. I do not know if it has been further developed or not.] - Microsoft Expression Web Designer - This is (Currently) the first public Beta version of “Web Designer” from the Expression series of tools (Like Adobe CS and Macromedia MX). This program is replacing FrontPage and is still a WYSIWYG editor, however early tests show that it creates a much cleaner standards compliant CSS based code then FrontPage ever did.
Windows
Freeware
- HTML-Kit - My favorite under freeware. Offers many languages and extensions, supports PHP and up through C++.
- 1st Page 2000 - a very good program I used for two years. It is now a bit old in the tooth as it was written by a high school student in Australia, he is now a college student working on his degree, it is expected that a new version will be released once he finishes school.
Note: Also there are rumors that this program has a virus. This is not true. Years ago a computer magazine re-packaged it and offered it together with a extension called “Buttons from Hell”, this additional packet included JavaScripts that triggered virus alarms but were not viruses. Most new virus programs no longer fall for the false signal. - Amaya - Suggested by Les below, I must say it looks impressive, supporting such modern technologies as SVG, MathML 2.0, XHTML 1.1. It is a production of the W3C itself.
- Vim - I played with this in school, actually meant for Linux it has a steep learning curve as it works more with command line sort of work. But if you take the time to learn it is is very powerful. Vim is charityware
- Nvu - originally made for Linux, it is also available for Mac and Windows. It is being re-vamped and is said to be earmarked to replace the editor for Mozilla, it is also being released as a extension for Firefox. It is a WYSIWYG and good for those with little knowledge of HTML. I know many people in forums who swear by it.
- NoteTab - I have never built a site with this but often use it just to check source code of sites I visit, it is quick loading. Windows free and shareware depending on version.
- Emacs - Loved by a few. It is GNU and is basically a Command line editor like a DOS window. Takes a lot of getting used to, but is considered a classic.
- Arachnophilia - This is a program that has been around a while. I have never used it, but have heard often that it is very simple and therefore is a excellent editor for beginners learning HTML.
- Selida - Another editor I have come across in forums, so it does have a following but I have no personal experience with it.
Shareware
- skEdit - Never used it but was suggested to me in a forum. Shareware (but quite affordable I find).
- HotDog - This program has been around for sometime. It was often supplied in computer magazines in Germany. I have not heard of it in years but it is still out there. It is a name in the industry, but I know no one who uses it so cannot say much more about it.
- CoffeeCup HTML Editor - I have used CoffeCup software and generally it is very good. I have not however used the editor, but have heard good things about it.
- AceHTML - A shareware editor with a decent reputation.
- NetObjects Fusion - Ok this is tricky. This software has rated well often. It is especially good for creating e-commerce sites and Database driven web sites. What keeps me from praising it however is the way it works. Even the worst editors allow some access to the HTML behind the web site. Fusion however uses it’s own propriety code created as you drag and drop elements on the screen. Only once the web site is finished and is to be published, is the propriety code then translated into HTML. This means at no time can you switch to HTML view to tweak a element. This program goes out of it’s way to keep you away from the code, so it is fine for those with no interest in learning how to really build sites. PC Pro Magazine liked it and claims it creates accessible web sites, that I do not believe so will see if I can get a copy to test one of these days, till then, it rates well but I dislike your inability to modify code during development. You will find a full review in the link to Urban75 listed at the bottom of this page.
Mac
(with special thanks to the members and management of Mac Community Feedback who supplied me with info as I am not a Mac user.)
Freeware
- Creatext - I think about the most popular pure Mac editor, highly recommended to me.
- Nvu - originally made for Linux, it is also available for Mac and Windows. It is being re-vamped and is said to be earmarked to replace the editor for Mozilla, it is also being released as a extension for Firefox. It is a WYSIWYG and good for those with little knowledge of HTML. I know many people in forums who swear by it.
- Emacs - Loved by a few. It is GNU and is basically a Command line editor like a DOS window. Takes a lot of getting used to, but is considered a classic.
- Taco HTML Edit - Sorry, no info. Taco HTML Edit is a full-featured HTML editor and PHP editor distributed as freeware. As an HTML editor, Taco HTML Edit empowers its users to rapidly create their own web sites. It is designed exclusively for Mac OS X and has many advanced features including spell checking, live browser previewing, PHP previewing, syntax checking, and much more. - the official web site
Shareware
- BBEdit - I have heard of it but know little. BBEdit is the leading professional HTML and text editor for the Macintosh. Specifically crafted in response to the needs of Web authors and software developers, this award-winning product provides a plethora of features for editing, searching, and manipulation of text. BBEdit transforms text with high performance.
- Rage Web Design - Sorry, no info.
- PageSpinner - Sorry no info. Page Spinner is the easy-to-use, professional HTML editor for Mac OS supporting HTML 3.2, HTML 4, XHTML, PHP, SSI plus additional Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer extensions and a built-in JavaScript generator.
- Tag - Sorry, no real info or experiance with this one.
- Tumult HyperEdit - Sorry, no real info or experiance with this one.
Linux
(with special thanks to the members and management of Linux Linux LINUX who supplied me with info as I am not a Linux user.)
Freeware
- Vim - I played with this in school, actually meant for Linux it has a steep learning curve as it works more with command line sort of work. But if you take the time to learn it is is very powerful. Vim is charityware
- Nvu - originally made for Linux, it is also available for Mac and Windows. It is being re-vamped and is said to be earmarked to replace the editor for Mozilla, it is also being released as a extension for Firefox. It is a WYSIWYG and good for those with little knowledge of HTML. I know many people in forums who swear by it.
- Quanta - Sorry, no info on this. Quanta Plus is a web development tool for the K Desktop Environment. Quanta is designed for quick web development and is rapidly becoming a mature editor with a number of great features. - the official web site
- Kate (KDE Advanced Text Editor) - Sorry, no info on this. Kate is a multi document editor, based on a rewritten version of the kwrite editing widget of KDE, offering all the features of that plus a bunch of its own. Kate has been been moved to the kdebase package, and is a built in part of your favorite desktop since release 2.2.
- Emacs - Loved by a few. It is GNU and is basically a Command line editor like a DOS window. Takes a lot of getting used to, but is considered a classic.
Other languages
CSS
- TopStyle CSS - My choice for CSS work, also comes in a free light version, at least older versions of it.
- EditCSS - A Firefox Extention suggested by tpattison below.
- Cascade - Free CSS.
PHP
- EditPlus2 - My earliest editor for PHP programming, really nice tools and plugins. I still use it sometimes.
- PHP Designer - A freeware PHP editor with a decent reputation, from the creators of HTML Gate.
- Rapid PHP - PHP editor, never used it but it comes well praised to me. Shareware / Windows.
XML
- XMLSpy - Likely the default XML editor on the market. Shareware.
Others
- Xstandard - XStandard is said to write the Purest standards based code of any WYSIWYG editor. It is meant for Content Management Systems (CMS), it opens in your default browser (NOTE: It uses Active-X so only works under Windows OS at this time, but a Mac OS X version is in Alpha testing.).).
- GWD Text Editor - I have never used it but it was praised in a couple of forums. Windows Shareware. GWD Text Editor is a powerful general purpose editor for plain text files and integrated developer environment for Borland C++, Java and Euphoria compilers. - the official web site
- TinyMCE - another WYSIWYG editor meant for use in a CMS. This will work under Mac, Windows and Linux.
- widgEditor - from my understanding this will work with both Mac and Windows.
- FCKEditor - This too is a CMS editor that works on all operating systems.
Finally, Urban75 has a very good Group Test of WYSIWYG Editors covering many of these.