A good DHTML editor ? 2

[J741]

Right now I'm using Windows' notepad to manually create and edit my web page code. It's simple and it works, but it's definately not elegant.

I've tried Microsoft Front Page and Macromedia Dreamwaver, but fing them too overwhelming and cluttered. For my simple purposes they are just too much, and often generate ugly or confusing code. I don't like them.

What I am looking for is a relatively simple text (not WYSIWTG) editor which can show me the line number of my code, so that when IE reports 'error on line 87' I can find it easier. Perhaps something with a bit of DHTML smarts that can report when I'm using incorrect syntax, have spelled a variable name wrong (like using a capital letter on one line, but not another), report when I haven't used a closing tag or bracket, or am referencing an invalid DOM object or property.

Does anyone know of a simple, uncluttered DHTML editor which comes close to my indicated desire?

- James.

My memory is not as good as it should be, and neither is my memory.

I have forgotten more than I can remember

 

[cLFlaVA]

I use Macromedia Homesite. However, that's not free unless you know where to go.

Check out Edit Plus and Edit Pad Lite. Both get the job done.

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
[tt]your mom goes to college[/tt]
[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.coryarthus.com/[/url]

 

[kaht]

Try downloading Textpad, it's incredibly customizable to fit your needs, and I know a lot of ppl around here on these forums use it as well.

By the way, when using notepad you can hit ctrl+g to jump right to line 87 when debugging (although I still suggest textpad)



-kaht

...looks like you don't have a job, so why don't you get out there and feed Tina.

 

[nissan240zx]

I would recommend using MS InterDev. Works great. Been using it for last 4 years as web dev/designer.
Its simpler than FrontPage and DWeaver and its lot more powerful as well



A good programmer is someone who looks both ways before crossing a one-way street. - Doug Linder

 

[cLFlaVA]

and I would strongly recommend not using anything put out by micro$oft.

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
[tt]your mom goes to college[/tt]
[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.coryarthus.com/[/url]

 

[mkrausnick]

I use HTML-Kit. It also is very customizable, with dozens of plug-ins written and contributed by lots of people. It isn't WYSIWYG but it has a "preview" tab that you can flip to to see your results. It also has a really cool drag-and-drop FTP client. Edit, click save, then drag an icon to the website folder on the right side of the screen.

It interprets JS and PHP (and probably every other language too, but I haven't installed other plug-ins).

And the editor has line numbers.


Mike Krausnick
Dublin, California

 

[rrsub]

Eclipse.

Not too sure if there is a DHTML plugin but it's worth trying out. I use it for XHTML and PHP

 

[Rekcor]

I'd advise you to use Crimson Editor. It's great (and freeware)!

 

[BabyJeffy]

I'll second kaht's Textpad recommendation (for Windows)... and throw in TextWrangler (

http://www.barebones.com)

if you ever find yourself on MacOSX.

Cheers,
Jeff

[tt]Jeff's Page [/tt][tt]@[/tt][tt] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/jeff/

[/tt]

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

I'll third Textpad. It's the best!

Dan


[tt]Dan's Page [blue]@[/blue] Code Couch

http://www.codecouch.com/dan/

[/tt]

 

[tsdragon]

There are only two HTML editors that I like: EditPlus 2 and HTML Pad 2005. EditPlus is a lot like TextPad, but much more powerful and flexible. I use it for editing just about any kind of text file. HTML Pad 2005 is specifically designed for HTML/CSS/JS. It has a lot of great features like attribute browser, style browser, etc. Both have built-in previews so you don't have to keep swapping to your browser and reloading your page to see how it looks. Neither is free, but both are very reasonable priced, and have free trial periods so you can see if you like them.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[LFI]

By the way, when using notepad you can hit ctrl+g to jump right to line 87 when debugging...

When/if you do this, make sure the Word Wrap option (under the Format menu) is OFF, or else, if any of the code before line 87 (for example) wraps, the line you go to (Cntl-G) will not be the actual line of the JavaScript error.

I use EditPlus 2 and am learning Dreamweaver, but I 'View Source' in Notepad all the time and use it to hunt down JavaScript errors. Notepad is also great for creating little test-pages to try out little scripts before putting them into a more-complicated program. Because there are no bells or whistles, it opens very quickly. I wish I could say the same about Dreamweaver!

--Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[kaht]

Thanks dave, forgot to mention that about word wrapping. Although.... I don't know many people that do any kind of coding in notepad with word wrapping on, what a nightmare

-kaht

...looks like you don't have a job, so why don't you get out there and feed Tina.

 

[LFI]

I agree with you there, kaht. For some reason, though, when I 'View Source,' a lot of the time, the word-wrapping is on and when I "Cntl-G," I find I am staring at a close-curly-brace and wondering "what's wrong with THAT?"

I figure I just left it set from the last time I did 'View Source' and I wanted to actually read the code there (instead of maximizing the window, which would probably be the more-obvious solution!).

--Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[tsdragon]

In those browsers that will allow it, I set my default "View source" editor to EditPlus. It opens almost as fast as notepad, and is much more useful. It also doesn't get confused when wordwrap is turned on.

As for creating little test pages: EditPlus is better for that too. When I create a new HTML file it automatically fills in the basic page structure for me (it's in a template file that you can modify), so I don't even have to code the html, body, etc. tags. Once I code the test page all I have to do is hit Ctrl-B to test it in a browser window, right there in the editor.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[LFI]

Huh! Cntl-B in Edit Plus, for me, was always one of those annoying interruptions that got in my way when I was trying to hit Cntl-V!

Thanks for the tip. I do a lot of little scripts and I'm always typing it all out ("<html><head><script>..."). I'm fairly adept at it now (grin) but I can see Edit Plus will even speed that up for me and I don't have to even save the file to view it in a browser window!

Now we just have to see if I remember to use it!

--Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[Vragabond]

LookingForInfo , if word wrapping is on, the ctrl-g (jump to line) does not even work. So there is no problem with returning the wrong line.

 

[LFI]

Vragabond, that may be true in whatever version of the software you've got, but it's not true in mine.

Windows 2000 Notepad, Version 5.0 (Build 2195: Service Pack 3).

I guess maybe it's changed over time? Whether TO what I've got or AWAY from it, I don't know!

--Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[J741]

WOW! A lot of responce on this question. That's awesome.

Well, so far I've tried some of the suggestions in the first 6 responses, and the 'HTML-kit' that 'mkrausnick' suggestied was most notably the easiest to just jump-right-in. And within a few minutes of use, I found that the layout was very intuitive and well organised, with some nice (optional) plugins. Also, the preview uses the desired web browser's engine within the editors own window (which I like - less clutter).

Now to try some of the other suggestions.

Thanks all.

- James.

My memory is not as good as it should be, and neither is my memory.

I have forgotten more than I can remember