Do people still code HTML by hand? Of course they do. And when they do, what tools do they use? Some use a simple text editor like nano or vi. Some prefer a little more GUI-goodness like Gedit or Kate. Still, some others prefer an application dedicated to the task at hand.
For those Linux (and BSD, and Mac, and Windows) users, the tool by which most measure the standard is Bluefish. Bluefish is a GPL software that was started in 1997 to facilitate web development on the Linux platform. Although the programmers and the name has changed over time, the intent has not. Bluefish was and is a fantastic HTML editor.
Features
Installation
The installation of Bluefish is simple:
Open up your Add/Remove Software tool.
Search for "bluefish" (no quotes).
Mark Bluefish for installation.
Click Apply to install.
You will have to enter your administrative password and accept any dependencies that might be necessary. When Bluefish has completed installation you will find the application in Applications > Programming. When the tool starts up you will notice a ton of features quickly available (see Figure 1).
Once you start working with the editor you will want to start immediately using the syntax highlighting. In order to do this you will first select the type of document you are working with (click Document > Document Type > HTML if you are working with an HTML document). Once you have selected the type of document, update the highlighting by either clicking F5 or clicking Document > Update Highlighting.
You will also notice all of the toolbars in Bluefish. There is a Main toolbar, a custom toolbar, an HTML toolbar, and a sidebar. The HTML toolbar is exactly what you would expect - it contains all of the icons for adding tags to your document. The sidebar allows you to navigate your directory hierarchy as well as check reference materials for different styles or types.
Also included with Bluefish is the ability to preview your code in a browser. As any good HTML editor, you can view your code in multiple browsers - and even add new browsers from within the Preferences window. To add a new browser clickthe Preferences icon on the main window and then select the External Programs tab. Here click the Add button near the middle of the right pane and then double click under the Name column (and enter the name of your browser) and then double click under the command column (and enter the command necessary for the new browser).
After you add a new browser it will show up in the External menu.
Final thoughts
If you prefer to do your HTML work by hand, in an HTML-specific text editor, you can not go wrong with Bluefish.
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Ghacks is a technology news blog that was founded in 2005 by Martin Brinkmann. It has since then become one of the most popular tech news sites on the Internet with five authors and regular contributions from freelance writers.
Years ago I used Arachnophilia before this became a JAVA app, this look like a good and light alternative.
I’m in love with Quanta, unfortunately it isn’t in KDE4 yet.