WYSIWYG Versus HTML Editor

If you talk to the international ranks of the web design community’s elite, it’s a no brainer—hard code is the way to go. Developers will tell you that you can never trust a program to effectively bridge the gap between visual design and the elegant efficiency of straight markup languages. While this might be true to a degree, the commitment, education and time that go into learning complicated platforms for web design along with the ever changing languages used for app and site development basically prohibit mere civilians from participation.

A basic knowledge of markup languages, CSS, Flash and JavaScript will go a long way in web design, but we don’t think a relative inexperience with HTML, website design, databases or image editing is any reason to shy away from giving web design a go. With some patience, effort and aid from a well designed program, anybody should be able to create an engaging website. We’ve put together a list pros and cons for you to consider as you decide between choosing a code-based HTML editor or a full visually oriented WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) site designer.

HTML Editor

Pro
• Less net data for faster load times and lower bandwidth
• Specify exact resolution and dimensions on photos
• Fewer compatibility problems
• No unfixable errors

Con
• Requires knowledge of design languages such as HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript
• Time consuming
• Difficult to create interactive content

WYSIWYG

Pro
• Significantly faster than text editor
• Requires no knowledge of programming languages
• Produce graphic intensive pages easily

Con
• Create larger files
• Compatibility issues
• Can require proprietary file formats

Before you decide between a typical HTML editor or visually centered WYSIWYG design tool, be sure to read our reviews of the best web design software.

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