Text Editor

I'm running Windows and I've used Notepad to do some basic HTML editing (not writing my own HTML, just making changes to code that someone else has written).  It works okay but I can't say I really enjoy using it.  I figured all text editors would be about the same until I came across this challenge.

I downloaded Notepad++, ConTEXT, E-TextEditor, and VIM.  I deleted E-TextEditor when I discovered that it wasn't free and continued testing the three remaining text editors.  I immediately liked Notepad++.  It automatically indents and it provides prompts when you start to enter a closing tag.

Next I tried ConTEXT.  To me it seemed very similar to Notepad (the editor that comes with Windows).  I'm sure if I played around with it more I would discover a number of differences between the two but it wasn't immediately appealing to me the way Notepad++ was.

Finally I tried VIM.  I've heard that it's incredibly powerful and possibly the best editor out there but it has a steep learning curve.  In the few minutes that I tried it I found it difficult to use.  I'm sure it's a great editor once you master but since my focus right now is on learning HTML I don't also want to be learning how to use a complicated editor.

My result?  For the purposes of this course I will be using Notepad++.  Eventually I plan to go back and play around with ConTEXT and VIM again but that won't be until I have a better command of HTML.

HTML by hand

I know that writing code by hand will help me to remember it by I did not enjoy this task.  Copying the code from the screen into my notebook was easy, but I made numerous mistakes when I attempted to do it from memory.  Here is my final attempt (and the only one I managed to do correctly from memory).

Two of my most common mistakes when trying to do this from memory were skipping ahead and forgetting the / in the closing tags (I should note that I do have limited previous experience with html).

P2PU Webmaking 101

Ever since I graduated with a degree in Music Performance I've been working in retail.  I don't enjoy the work and the schedule I'm currently on keeps me from joining local ensembles so I don't get to play my flute and piccolo as much as I'd like.  I've finally decided that it's time (past time really) for me to learn some new skills and to try to carve a different path for myself.