Website design for a beginner

Hey guys,

I am beginner in website design. Is it a good idea to start with a html editor like coffeecup to build my first website? I only have the code editor and not the visual editor. Is it worth paying for the visual editor? I know the basics about html for the moment but will continue studying on it.

Any recommendations on how to create decent web pages without wasting too much time? Any other recommendations also wellcome.

Thanks

 

anyone will tell you that a code editor is better than a visual editor.
it really depends on your tastes, but IMO it's better to code by hand in a simple text editor.

 

Doing it by code is a better way to learn simply cuz you get a better grasp on the coding itself rather than doing the cheaters way with a visual editor. But a visual editor does help out alot at times. A decent FREE code editor is NOTEPAD++ and a good FREE code and visual editor is KOMPZER. Check em both out and good luck

 

I use dreamweaver but I also make training vids for noobs who can't afford an expensive code editor.

This is what I recommend to them,

kompozer.net

 

If you really want to learn HTML and CSS, definately start out with a text editor like Notepad++ or even Edit+ (which is what I use), along with a good book on the subject, such as Ian Lloyd's Build Your Own Web Site the Right Way Using HTML & CSS.

 

I suggest you try Frontpage. Helped me alot when I was Learning at the First Time. Just create a Graphic in Normal Mode and then check the Coding.

 

FrontPage has been abandoned by Microsoft, and was never a good editor to begin with, since the code it produced was often bloated, proprietary and hard to maintain by even the most experienced of developers.

 

Dan Schulz I agree with you there, but the General Coding comes in Handy in beginning. Its later on that you need to add Professional Touches to it. Just my Advise for a Beginner, I am not contradicting your Opinion. I myself am a Dreamweaver Junkie.

 

Notepad is the best if you really want to learn to code

 

a code editor is better than a visual editor
This is what I think

 

Steer clear of ANYTHING visual, be it frontpage, dreamweaver, or any of the other dozen or so WYSIWYG's because the code they produce is total crap, and if you were to learn ANYTHING from using them, it should be how NOT to write a web page.

Take a look at the page in Xavier's sig for example (sorry man, I needed an example and you were handy) - Typical bloated wordpress template that has some WYSIWYG (you said Dreamweaver?) telltales in it.

	<li><h2>Menu</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.xyber3dstudios.com">Main Page</a></li></ul>
<ul><li><li class="page_item"><a href="http://xyber3dstudios.com/?page_id=2" title="About">About</a></li>
<li class="page_item"><a href="http://xyber3dstudios.com/?page_id=5" title="Services">Services</a></li>
<li class="page_item"><a href="http://xyber3dstudios.com/?page_id=6" title="Portfolio">Portfolio</a></li>
<li class="page_item"><a href="http://xyber3dstudios.com/?page_id=9" title="FAQs">FAQs</a></li>
</ul></li>

Code (markup):

impressive... as far as wasting classes and using nothing but absolute links for no reason goes. The page_item class doesn't even DO anything, there is no reason for 'Main Page' to even BE in a separate UL, no point in putting titles on anchors that are identical to the text contained within (I still say if you need title on an anchor, you've got bigger issues with the text inside the anchor), and since it's being fed from that domain there is no reason to include the full domain on every href.

Then there's gems like this:

<ul><li><a href="http://www.xtremehostz.com">Xtreme Hostz</a></li></ul>



<ul><li><a href="http://miccas.net/in.php?id=29">MICCAS.net</a></li></ul>


<ul><li><a href="http://www.area-51.cn">Area 51 - Are you Game Enough?</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.i-talkies.com">I-Talkies.com</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.qvideoz.com">Qvideoz.com</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.adsenseforms.com">Adsense Websites</a></li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="http://www.auctionads.com/refer_ 24e167c0f8408e4b30ce">AuctionAds</a></li></ul>

Code (markup):

Wow, just wow.

Mind you, it's a turdpress template - we don't expect good code out of that since 99%+ of them vomit up some tags and pretend to call it HTML...

 

yes but I create my pages with dreamweaver, just have to watch what it does to your pages, mine do not have as much added stuff, because I do the majority of the codingby hand, and just use dreamweaver for the css tooltips and such. Dreamweaver for layouts is more of a visual look at what I am creating, because I want to make sure i can see it as I create it.

 

Thanks for the tips guys.
Text editor it is. Thanks or recommending the book Dan, I will order from Amazon.

 

That's what alt-tab to Opera, F5, alt-tab to Firefox, F5, alt-tab to IE 6, F5, alt-tab to IE7, F% and alt-tab to Safari, F5 is for (in that order) since you should be checking the appearance in the actual BROWSERS as you go, instead of coding a whole layout with possibly broken code, then spending hours scouring the web for silver bullet fixes.

Because what a designer REALLY needs is ANOTHER rendering engine - one that end users would never see - added to the mix.

 

^ Except CTRL R is easier to reach than F5

 

Take one hand off the mouse.