When you want to build a Web site there are many things you need to think about and plan. This series of articles will take you through the steps to creating a Web site. I will show you the decisions I needed to make and what steps I took to build a new Web site.



First Steps

Depending upon how you think, will dictate what you feel is the most important thing to do first. I like to have all my tools in place before I start to work creating a site. So, the first thing I will need is a hosting provider.

Requirements

Cost

This site will be a small site about another one of my passions, Siamese Cats. Since I don't breed or sell cats, it won't be a commerce site, and so I need the tools to be as cheap as possible, preferably free.

Ease of Use

I also don't have a lot of time to spend on the site, so the easier it is for me to use the better.

Space

I don't have a lot of images to upload, but I could get some more, so I want space to grow.

I expect that 5MB would probably be plenty of space for me at first, but it would be nice to find a hosting provider that can expand if I need it to.

Tools

I don't anticipate needing CGI access, but it would be nice to find a site that offers simple amenities like a guest book, form re-mailer, and possibly chat or a bulletin board.

Access

I don't travel a lot, but I would want to be able to upload and access my files from anywhere (within reason).

Transfer Limits

This site probably won't be extremely popular, so I don't need to worry a lot about transfer limits, but I want to know their policy on transfers. Some sites charge you automatically when you exceed the limit while others simply send you a bill.

Choosing an HTML Editor

When you want to build a Web site there are many things you need to think about and plan. This series of articles will take you through the steps to creating a Web site. Next, in order to create a Web page, I will need to decide if and what HTML editor I want to use.

Essentially, there are two ways to write HTML, with a "What You See is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) editor or with a text editor.

WYSIWYG Editor Benefits

Ease

One of the best things about most WYSIWYG editors is that I can be up and running quickly. Most of these editors work like a typical Word processor, so there isn't a lot of time spent learning a new program.

Speed

Unless you have been writing HTML for several years, most WYSIWYG editors will help you create Web pages faster.

HTML Validation

If you use a WYSIWYG editor, you can be sure that your HTML will work in most browsers and usually be accurate HTML (with some notable exceptions).

Other Features

Most WYSIWYG HTML editors offer additional features to make your site better or increase your productivity.

For example, link checking, spell checkers, document weighting, javascript functions, DHTML tips, and more.

Text Editor Benefits

Flexibility

Once you have learned to write HTML with a text editor, you will be more conversant with what HTML can and cannot do. You will not be limited to the functions of the editor.

Portability

If you do HTML on a text editor you can make changes anywhere that you can get access to your pages. Most text editors are fairly similar across platforms, and if you use Notepad, that is available on all Windows machines.

Clean HTML

Many HTML editors add strange codes, tags, and attributes into the HTML. These can slow down the download of the page by adding extraneous characters, create pages that are only viewable by one browser, and add in unnecessary tags. By writing HTML in a text editor, you ensure that you only use HTML tags that you intend to use.