For very complicated web pages, particularly commercial web site with large numbers of pages and whose content changes very frequently, there are other considerations which might favor the use of special HTML Editors or other applications written specifically to manage web sites. Common editors are discussed later in this page.

Starting Out HTML Editors Testing Web Site Hosting FTP File Transfer

Starting Out

• Create short HTML pages
  I've seen web sites that consisted of one really long page - as much as 50 screens of information. Not only does this irritate users but it makes it easier for you to make a mistake which can affect the rest of the page. For example, a missing tag (for bolding text) will cause the bolding command to propagate completely to the end of the web page. Other errors in typing the HTML code can also affect the entire page, so by keeping the pages short you make it easier for you to troubleshoot will limiting the effects of typing errors.

• Use Notepad as your HTML editor
  HTML files are 100% plain text and Notepad is totally adequate for creating/editing short text files. As the pages grow in complexity and quantity you may consider specialized HTML editors but it's always a choice - not a requirement.

As you become more familiar with HTML coding then feel free to work beyond these limitations, but you may find (as I have) that these two approaches will stay with you throughout the creation of your web site.

HTML Editors

• Precise control over the look and feel of a web site
• Ability to change multiple pages at one time
• Simplification of some of the more complicated HTML features
• Reduction of the time it takes to create a page.
• Common code styles between programmers working on the same site
• WYSIWYG interface - what you see is what you get (keeping you from having to jump between a browser and the editor to check the results)

If you want help in picking an HTML Editor, I suggest going to CNET and search for 'HTML Editors', then sort the results by number of downloads. This will get you a list of the most popular HTML Editors of the day.

Testing

The only constraint is that you have to use the same folder structure on your PC that you will use on the web site server. In the sections on HTML tags you'll see why this is true.

You'll also want to finalize your edits of the web page on your PC before sending it to the server because the moment it's on the web site anyone can view it. You won't want to expose your site visitors to the intermediate pages, mistakes and all, so wait until you're happy with the content and then transfer the pages to the web site.

You should be aware that not all browsers display HTML code in exactly the same way. In general, they do. But as a check, many HTML programmers will call up their code in Internet Explorer, Opera, and Netscape Communicator to see if there are any differences in the way the page displays. For the majority of basic HTML tags there is no difference between the browsers. But there can be differences depending on the complexity of the code that makes up the page. The only way to know for sure is to look at it in each browser.

Web Site Hosting

Once you've purchased the domain name, you have to decide which computer (called a server) will contain the actual files that make up your web site. The company that provides the server is called the host and the service they offer is called hosting. You could decide to host the web site yourself, but it requires that you run some specialty software on your PC and that you get a static (unchanging) IP address for your computer from your ISP. Maintaining a web site on a home PC can take a lot of training and ongoing effort that very few folks are willing to do.

The vast majority of individual web site owners pay a company to host their web site, allowing them to focus on the content of the web site, not on the mechanics of keeping the server and its software up and running.

Web site hosting is available from hundreds of companies. Often, your ISP provider will include a minimum web site hosting package as part of purchasing internet access from them, at no additional cost. Such a 'freebie' will generally be adequate for a few pages shared between friends and family but commercial web sites will generally need a more comprehensive web site package.

Deciding on which web site hosting package to purchase for a web site would involve consideration of a variety of factors, including the following:

• Cost - from $50 to several thousand dollars per month
• Hardware/software maintenance
• Total storage space - from 200MByte to over 1GByte
• Data throughput - from 10GBytes to 100GBytes per month
• Dedicated hardware - where the server has no other web sites on it

Most companies that offer hosting allow sites to modify their choice of features, so the choice of a hosting package is not usually that critical and can be upgraded as the needs of the site change.

FTP File Transfer

Once the file is on the server it is immediately available for viewing. There are hundreds of free and commercial applications used to transfer files. My favorites include:

• SendTo FTP - freeware that integrates into the windows file system (right-mouse click a file to transfer it)
• WS_FTP - with both freeware and commercial versions available, one of the all-time favorites

Other FTP transfer applications include FTP Voyager, Coffee Cup, CuteFTP, SmartFTP, and HotDog. Some HTML editors also have FTP transfer capabilities built into the application so that you don't have to use a separate FTP transfer application.

The FTP applications not only transfer files to the server, but often allow you to manage your site's folder structure as well. The web site host typically assigns you a starting directory to which only you have access and you can create additional sub-folders as you choose.