Advantages and Disadvantages Offered by WYSIWYG Editors

If you are just starting out with web designing, then WYSIWYG, or what you see is what you get, editors can be something that sound too good to be true. With these tools you will be able to easily and efficiently design and then post your custom designed website without having to write a single line of HTML code. This is a method that is idea for uncomplicated and small sites.

However, the WYSIWYG editor can be more difficult to implement for more difficult of sophisticated web page designs.

The decision of whether or not you should use a WPF WYSIWYG editor will depend on the project requirements and your skill level.

Broad Benefits Offered by WYSIWYG Editors

Some of the most popular and well-known WYSIWYG editors include Dreamweaver and FrontPage. Other options such as HomeSite, GoLive and HoTMetaL Pro also offer some WYSIWYG benefits.

If you are an inexperienced web designer, you will likely love the simplicity offered by the WYSIWYG editors. The software is extremely easy to learn and allows you to quickly design and also post your site. In some cases, you can complete the entire process in just a few hours. Also, due to the visual interface you will be using, you will have the ability to concentrate on the design and the layout and not have to worry with the intimidating HTML code that creates a more complicated website.

Even with all the bad press that the WYSIWYG editors receive, these are not just for those who are HTML illiterate. Many experienced designers also use these tools. In fact, it offers a much more efficient method for designing and populating a complicated table structure with a number of columns and rows while using the WYSIWYG editor. The majority of editors will also give you the ability to change between the simple view mode and the HTML code mode. This can let you quickly evaluate the various changes you make without having to open another browser window.

As the editors are evolving, they are getting much better at handling the more complicated tasks involved with web design. Those who are new to design can now include a number of more complex effects, such as DHTML and JavaScript on their pages.

There are Still a Few Downsides

However, there are still a number of downsides to virtually every coding technique and every WYSIWYG editor that is available. Some things that you should consider if you are going to use these editors include:

• Font tags may be misplaced
• You need a good HTML checker
• They have limited functionality
• Editing a page may be difficult

When you are aware of the challenges you will be able to better plan whether or not these tools are right for you and your webpage design needs.