MS Virtual Web Developer 2005

Have been trying to not ask this question for a couple of weeks, but here goes:
I usually write my web pages with notepad, or some other text editor. Over time I have tried most of the more popular flavors of WYSIWYG/Text editor combinations without getting too excited about them. But I'd like to get a bit more sophisticated than in the past, so here's my question:
I have tried almost everything, but have found that "Microsoft Virtual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition" (free from MS) is the most intuitive, fun to use, program for me. THere is, however, a small catch; I have no idea, after reading everything I can get my hands on, what the actual bottom-line is of pages edited with it. I *believe* (have a tired brain after reading all the MS info, must be getting older here) that it produces the following:

1. Pages that need to be hosted on a server with specific OS, not just anyone's server.
2. Pages that are downloadable into not only desktop Web format, but also in things like cell phones, and all those other little pocket devices people have now.
3. Pages that are more secure than regular HTML pages.

Beyond those thoughts, which nobody seems to come right out and state, I have no idea what would be the product of this program.

I just know it sure fits my thought process better than anything else.
Anyone who can fill in the bottom lines for me would be appreciated.

Thanks, T.O.M.

Quote:

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1. Pages that need to be hosted on a server with specific OS, not just anyone's server.
2. Pages that are downloadable into not only desktop Web format, but also in things like cell phones, and all those other little pocket devices people have now.
3. Pages that are more secure than regular HTML pages.

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Where have you read that? Responses:

1. Unless you're making something like ASP pages (which AFAIK aren't supported very well/at all in Apache) then you can publish them on a server running any OS under the sun. HTML, PHP, and the like can be run on whatever OS you please (as long as the OS has a working server and PHP :D)

2. Em... the people with the 'little pocket devices' are just using web browsers, same goes for cell phones - so they are just viewing normal HTML pages. Special pages are not normally produced for smaller screens, and a web page is a web page. By that I mean that Google.com doesn't have an index for computers, another for cell phones, another for PDAs, etc... it's all the same.

3. You can't have pages more secure than HTML. Sure, you can change the protocol used to access those pages and therefore increase security (eg SSL), but the only bit about securing HTML I can think of is getting an app which encrypts its source code. I don't know how they work, but if you're interested (not that encrypting HTML source code is really that much to care about) Google might help you.

I haven't tried MS Virtual Web Dev 2005, but it is probably just a normal WYSIWYG editor which is an attempt at helping any average person make a web page. Personally, I suggest that you use an application like Notepad++ to code your HTML, which W3Schools has some great tutorials on. It also has a great CSS tut, which I also recommend you learn.

I don't consider myself 'hardcore' because I code by hand, but I propose this method because you will end up with cleaner, more semantic code and you will get what you want. With WYSIWYG editors, I often find unwanted META tags in my code which are unnecessarily included, and they generally use tables instead of the more popular <div> nowadays. And once you know CSS, a plethora of new possibilities are unleashed - if you don't believe me, check out CSS Zen Garden.

If you plan on just being a casual website owner with a few paragraphs about yourself and a couple of pictures, then use a WYSIWYG editor*. If you want to become a web designer and make nice, visually-pleasing websites, then learn to code by hand. Trust me, it is much easier in the long run.

* - ones I particularly recommend are Bluefish and Nvu (although I haven't tried MS' one).

Cheers,

-jk

Thanks, J_K9, we agree on the virtues of using straight text-editors such as Notepad, and CSS is the neatest tool since cold beer and MTB's. Text has worked well for me for ten years on the half-dozen domains my family has me do for them, a couple of other friends that I do for straight reimbursement, three 501(c)(3)'s I do for nothing, and the couple dozen other paying people and companies who seem happy with my old codejunkie methods. Just getting restless, I suppose, looking for something new. A silver bullet, maybe. Tried 3-D but couldn't get enthused with it. Thought it would be good for a real estate company I web for, but they didn't want visitors to need any separate browser downloads to view their listings in 3-D, so that was impractical considering other things that needed done.
*Anyway*, this MS Virtual Web Developer program says it teaches you "...ASP.NET 2.0 syntax, architecture & power... a free 30-day test hosting account...". So I says to myself; "self, why would anyone need a free 30-day hosting account with MS when most already have web space. I have a co-located server with unlimited space, SSL, a friendly SysOp who monitors the server, etc, ... so does this thing produce something exotic that needs a special server?" And so I stay up late trying to get the answer from MS, forums, the help-screens, etc, and it doesn't really come right out and say what this "ASP.NET 2.0 syntax, architecture & power" is all about. So naturally, I figure it's the newest secret weapon on the horizon, .... But then again, I had no idea, couldn't find one, so finally decided to ask.
It does have one neat feature over notepad, though; while you're coding your page there is a bottom screen that rats on you if you make a mistake on a tag, a code, or whatever. It also keeps track of several pages in various folders, keeps track of your favorite codes, plus a lot of other stuff I haven't looked at yet.
Anyway, I thank you for your input. I sure couldn't find any "bottom line" anywhere else for what it produced that was different from regular HTML pages.
Thanks again.

Sorry, I took you for someone who only knew a bit of HTML - my bad! But yeah, if you like some of the preview features it offers or whatnot then you might as well stick with it - most WYSIWYG editors have a 'coding view' anyway, so you could always use that with the previewer.

And no problem! Thanks for the greenies ;)

Cheers,

-jk

Ps. ASP.NET doesn't really have any advantages over PHP (which is more cross-platform anyway), so if you're going to learn a new language I highly suggest the latter. :D