Web-site Development Tools

[Josh Kuperman]

Yes I am still hand coding. The only thing I've seen that is more work with
hand coding is image maps. For the most part hand coding gives more
control, less junk, and the ability to maintain standards. My goal with our
library's home page is to keep the list of events current. I can't imagine
how any of the common HTML generating products would let me do what I do
any better.

I have no idea how the notion that using FrontPage, PageMill, or HomePage
is somehow easier got started. Apparently, they appeal to many people, who
feel they can't learn programming languages and, believe that HTML is a
programming language and thus something they can't learn.  While there is
room for a great deal of variation and choice, I find things easiest with a
text editor and the Hip Pocket Guide to HTML 3.2 (I try to avoid most newer
features because the Southern Adirondack Library System, makes a text
connection using a gopher and an older version of Lynx freely available so
I try to make sure our pages are intelligible when viewed through it.) My
one or two experiments with FrontPage gave me output filled with tables
when a list would have been fine. It did not do what I wanted. It don't
remember if it contained the information needed to pass validation tests or
not. I wound up realizing that I would wind up editing the pages by hand
afterword regardless of how they were generated.

I am far from perfect and our home page here won't validate through 
http://validator.w3.org most of the problems have to do with a link to
generate a map using ampersands, which is a violation. I happen to believe
that all pages should use valid HTML; for the moment mine don't. 

While at the library here I'm using emacs for Win95. The best editor for
HTML is Alpha, which is a Mac only product. Be sure to join the mailing
list to find the latest additions. The original author Pete Keleher is
apparently busy pursuing tenure and not updating the code. There are a
dozen people or so, who maintain function specific modes, such as the HTML
mode. It is also the best text editor for LaTeX, MacPerl and most other
things. 
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~keleher/alpha.html

At 08:19 AM 7/21/98 -0700, you wrote:
>I was wondering if any web librarians on this list could recommend any web
>development tools that they use.  

--
Josh Kuperman        Saratoga Springs Public Library
sar_kuper at sals.edu   49 Henry St  
518.584.7860x211     Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
http://www.library.sarotoga.ny.us