Classic

Hey TG can I join your fan club?

Sure you can. Just remember that I have absolute control over the fan club.

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If it's just simple XHTML or CSS, then hand coding. I know nothing about PHP though, so when it comes to that I'm clueless.

I have been trying hard to learn HTML and a little about CSS so I can make my transition to upload your own html in SBI. I have been using Notetab Lite to program my pages (thanks James for all you encouragement with this). Between Notetab and HTMLDOG tutorials I know a lot more than I did six months ago

It seems quite easy this way...all the commands are off to the side on a bar and I just have to highlight my text and click on it to insert the codes.

I then go to the browser and open the file to see what it looks like. I keep the file open as I work in Notetab and when I make changes I just hit refresh to see what I have done.

How does this differ from using something like Kompozer or Coffeecup? I had figured eventually I would "graduate" to Dreamweaver, but as a complete coding newbie, this is going okay for me and I am not sure what I am missing out on at this point?

I am trying to decide if I should change or not...I never liked Notepad at all and preferred to do my writing in Word, saving as a text file and then copying and pasting into Block Builder.

Now I am using this and I like it a little better. I will end up putting most of one page into one block at the rate I am going.

One of the problems I found when writing my pages in Word and then copying and pasting was that once the page is uploaded there are always little tweaks and jimmies that need to be done and it was way too much trouble to go and do them in Word, then copy and paste again, then build it and see..so many times I would just end up making all of these changes right in Block Builder. Then I was stressing because by the time the true page was uploaded, I didn't have an accurate back up copy..my text file was very different from the uploaded file.

I find it much easier to do all of this in Notetab and see it in the browser, make all the changes there...and then upload the final copy.

Now that I understand a little more about this process...what am I missing out on by doing it in Notetab instead of Kompozer, Coffeecup, or Dreamweaver???

On a regular basis I am trying to talk myself into sticking with writing more content now and at least hitting the 30-page mark before I start the transition. I am itching to try out CSS and upload my own...and not have to change little things on every page....but I always seem to be doing something to distract myself from the content process.

I am spending lots of time, more time than I should, learning about the whole process of CSS and HTML and visual effects (I am leaning towards AJ's template) because I really like that professional look of the CSS sites....but I am constantly working to refocus myself (with great effort) to get back to writing instead of anything else.

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Jewel

http://www.your-camping-guidebook.com

"It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to always be right by having no ideas at all."
-- Edward De Bono

The other programs probably aren't much different than what you're using, Jewel. Can you preview your design as you work in the program or do you always have to save and preview it in a browser? If not, that's probably one of the bigger differences. The other editors you mentioned have a Design and Code view so you don't have to open a new browser to see your changes. Although I like to make a habit of previewing it in a browser anyway because sometimes the Design views in these editors are not completely accurate.

Dreamweaver probably has more support for CSS and other advanced features but if you feel you are comfortable with what you're using then you may find that's all you need.

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I have to preview in the browser...there is no design view.

I think this probably does okay with CSS although I haven't gotten that far yet..just like there is a tab for coding and writing my pages in html mode, there is a tab I can click on for css which has all the codes and everything I think I will need there....haven't gotten to that bridge yet so I don't know for sure.

This was free too, so it is a nice learning tool for the investment. If I like I can upgrade to the paid version for 19.95....but even though I had a week's demo with the paid version, so far I can't tell what features I am missing with the free version. Of course it very well may be that I just don't know what I don't yet know!!!

Thanks Lisa...I may upgrade or at least check some of the others out down the road...but I guess this will work for me for now.

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Jewel

http://www.your-camping-guidebook.com

"It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to always be right by having no ideas at all."
-- Edward De Bono

Jewel

Glad to hear how you are doing. Sounds like you are doing just fine.

If you are happy with what you are doing I wouldn't dream of Dreamweaver! Sorry for the terrible pun, and no insult intended to fans of the program. It has its pluses.

What Dreamweaver, or any other graphic interface does is let you sort of just place things where you want and they write the html so you don't have to know it. But if you can learn it, as you have, you have a lot more control. It does take time to learn, but so does Dreamweaver or any of the others.

While there is no "design view" as such, in your NoteTab there is the one button click on the globe image and you view in your browser which you can just leave open, then click on refresh after you save new code. It amounts to the same thing.

You might want to upgrade to Pro since the price is little. It does have several features I like, especially spelling since that is one of my weakest areas. I use it a lot.

As you get into the css I would download TopStyle Lite. You can integrate it right into NoteTab but I wouldn't bother. I run it side by side and leave both open (overlap a bit and just click on part of the window to switch). You only want the free version of this one because it has all the css features. The upgrade adds nothing to css, just adds html, etc., and you have all you need in NoteTab for that. It works much as NoteTab but even better for css because you can just click on more detailed choices such as type of measurements, etc. Very slick, and easy to use.

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Good Success!

James
Douglas County Master Gardeners
"We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we expect."

James you rock. Such helpful advice.

__________________
Don't put the cart before the horse.
Plan your website, then create it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Recent Blog Posts...

Most Bloggers are Poor Marketers
Make Money as a YouTube Partner
Don't Discount Amazon's Affiliate Program

Thanks James. I always appreciate your help.

I will try TopStyle then.

Sometimes I get kind of intimated..maybe I am in way over my head here as I muddle along and pick up things a little at a time as opposed to formally. I will plod along though.

I have another question but I am not sure it belongs in this forum..I will post it in the content corner I guess.

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Jewel

http://www.your-camping-guidebook.com

"It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to always be right by having no ideas at all."
-- Edward De Bono

Thanks for the comment, Lisa. Old guys like me don't get accused of rockin much!

Jewel, When you say, "I muddle along and pick up things a little at a time as opposed to formally" you are describing one of the best, not least ways to learn this stuff. If you try to take in too much at a time it often gets muddled. A little bit at a time, day by day, and soon you start clicking with it.

Keep up the good work.

__________________
Good Success!

James
Douglas County Master Gardeners
"We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we expect."