Building a website requires the right tools. A text editor is for someone who wants to use code or edit specific parts of code. It is all text with no images or drag and drop. An HTML editor is a system that is used for writing/editing the code in text format, most of them have plugins or come with code snippets or short cuts for commonly used tags. Many of them also have a preview window to view what the page looks like as you work on it. This is a very useful system if you want to actually learn code and see what the visual changes to the pages are as you change the code. A WYSIWYG system also known as a What You See Is What You Get. Today this is a format that many people are familiar with. Most word processing systems are considered to be a WYSIWYG system. These types of systems are very nice for people who are just begining to get the feel of page building or people who never want to deal with code. There are some very good WYSIWYG systems out there and they are a fantastic tool especially for someone who is just starting out. The biggest drawbacks with WYSIWYG systems are: 1: They often insert extra code. 2: The formats are not always compatible with all web hosting systems. 3: Using advanced languages such as php, java, flash, or asp may be very limited. 4: Each system has it's own limitations and what it can do. This not a discouragement to using a WYSIWYG, just something to make sure to keep in mind. Text Editors If you have a windows system, notepad is a pure text editor that doesn't add anything to the code. You can even save the files as a .html. Getting a bit fancier is notepad++ This is still a text editor, but it combines several features of an html editor such as syntax highlighting. TextWrangler is similar to notepad++ created specifically for Mac OS X and also has syntax highlighting. HTML Editors Being the next step up from a text editor, HTML editors are all very different and they all have their own quirks and special features. Don't give up on HTML editors because the first one you try isn't to your liking. Try a few of them out. HTML Page Builder: Selida HTML Kit Page Builder This is very nice with multiple plugins for multiple language support Get First Page Website Builder - Over 3+ million downloads! This offers a number of very nice pre-created templates and java scripts, but since the program is old some of the java will not work in new browsers Kompozer Makes an HTML editor easy for beginers to use. Can be used on windows, Mac, Linux. Arachnophilla Note Tab A widely used and highly recommended program by many FCK Editor Another widely recognized program. Compatible with most OS systems and supports many languages While there are countless others out there, these editors are all free systems and very widely used and recognized. WYSIWYG systems There are many free ones, however you are very likely to find that the most popular of them charge a fee for these programs. Dreamweaver A very popular product with many people. A bit on the expensive side too. Microsoft Front Page Front page, while still widely sold, is no longer a supported product. It is very user friendly and people love it, but it does have a tendancy toward data corruption. Some hosting services may not support the extensions required for this system to work. Microsoft Expressions The "NEW front page". It still requires the same extensions that front page did that made it susceptible to data corruption. Google Page Creator An Online web creation system. Free but requires registration. App2you An Online web creation system. Free but requires registration. Coffee Cup Popular publishing system. This could really be used as either an HTML editor or a WYSIWYG system Website Builder Is a free system for download. Blue Voda A fairly popular web builder At this point I should also mention Code Generators Hundreds of online sites offer systems where you type in some information and then you copy the code that the system generates. An internet search will give a number of them you may use. We also offer code generators here