HTML Editor

[Corabar Entertainment]

Not sure if such an animal exists, but:

Can anyone recommend either a free or cheap HTML editor?

This isn't for web design per se, but instead for creating email templates.

I usually hand-code, but I could do with something that is reliable, versatile, fully controllable, WISYWIG to speed things up a bit....Oh, I preferably producing relatively clean coding (without all the usual junk!) I could then just copy and paste the HTML where I need it.

[Jiggles]

http://net2.com/nvu/

Never used it but people say it's good.

[TonyB]

NVU hasn't been updated for a long time. KompoZer is a more up to date version http://kompozer.net/download.php of the same thing or alternatively Seamonkey http://www.seamonkey-project.org/ based on the same editor but also includes browser (much like firefox) and email so may be a bit overkill.

[Gareth]

http://www.htmlkit.com/

Basicly a free version of dreamweaver!

[wensleydale]

http://www.htmlkit.com/

Basicly a free version of dreamweaver!

i use this too.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Thanks for the suggestions guys: I'll have a little look through those (and any others if anybody posts additional ones) later

:thanks:

[Marc J]

What are you mailing? Maybe something like MailChimp (http://www.mailchimp.com/) or MadMimi (http://madmimi.com/) would be better?

[Corabar Entertainment]

No, not that sort of thing Marc (I already use Mailchimp): basically it's for setting up some of my email templates. The management software I use has a built in design editor that I find a little restricting sometimes, and it's not 100% WYSIWYG if I'm doing something a bit flasher. I can go fully HTML with it and hand code exactly what I want, but I was just wondering if there was a better HTML editor out there that I could use and then copy and paste into my management system to save a bit of time.

Thanks anyway. :)

[Marc J]

No, not that sort of thing Marc (I already use Mailchimp): basically it's for setting up some of my email templates. The management software I use has a built in design editor that I find a little restricting sometimes, and it's not 100% WYSIWYG if I'm doing something a bit flasher. I can go fully HTML with it and hand code exactly what I want, but I was just wondering if there was a better HTML editor out there that I could use and then copy and paste into my management system to save a bit of time.:)

The problem is, HTML email templates are a lot more complicated to build than web pages, and so it's not always a good idea to use an HTML editing package designed for web page creation to create email templates, unless you absolutely know what's allowed and what's not. Which is probably why you can'y always get things exactly how you want.

Never mind just a few browsers to contend with (all of which will show roughly the same result with web pages), email clients differ vastly in the way they render HTML - and you've got Outlook (various versions), Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Thunderbird (the main email clients in use) as well as anyone using web based email which then brings Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc. to the table as well, all of which have different rules and display HTML emails differently.

See http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/code-html-email-newsletters/3 and http://www.email-standards.org/, but the most important rules (to start with) are: use tables for layout, don't use background images and only use in-line styling.

[discomobiledj]

I've always used PSPad (www.pspad.com) which is really easy to use.

[Daryll]

never had a problem with http://www.evrsoft.com/ .

Daryll

[Corabar Entertainment]

The problem is, HTML email templates are a lot more complicated to build than web pages, and so it's not always a good idea to use an HTML editing package designed for web page creation to create email templates, unless you absolutely know what's allowed and what's not. Which is probably why you can'y always get things exactly how you want.

Never mind just a few browsers to contend with (all of which will show roughly the same result with web pages), email clients differ vastly in the way they render HTML - and you've got Outlook (various versions), Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Thunderbird (the main email clients in use) as well as anyone using web based email which then brings Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc. to the table as well, all of which have different rules and display HTML emails differently.

See http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/code-html-email-newsletters/3 and http://www.email-standards.org/, but the most important rules (to start with) are: use tables for layout, don't use background images and only use in-line styling.Thanks for that Marc.

Whilst there is no way on this planet that I would describe myself as remotely an expert on the subject, I have got a basic grasp of the 'rules', but your articles should make interesting light reading! :eek:

[yourdj]

http://www.creatingonline.com/html_editor/editor.htm

[Corabar Entertainment]

I was just on my way to this thread to say I've found a work around that works for me: It was when we were discussing Mailchimp, Marc, that I decided to delve a little deeper than I had previously in to the design capabilities on there.

I can import / export coding from there easily, so I am now able to do what I want to do and design the templates without having to hand-code huge amounts. :thumbsup:

Thank you to everyone who made suggestions. I'm a happy bunny now! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_15_32.gif