An editor for hypertext markup language (HTML) is a software program that allows a website designer to more easily produce the code needed to create and host Internet websites. These types of programs can be used by professionals who want to make websites more easily, small business owners looking to make sites for their businesses, or anyone else interested in creating websites on the Internet. An HTML editor will usually make web design easier and faster, though someone with extensive experience and understanding of the program and HTML may be able to get more out of it than a novice user.
HTML is the programming language used in the creation of websites that are then hosted on various servers and connected through the massive network that makes up the Internet. Much like other types of programming languages, HTML has its own syntax and coding that needs to be followed properly for a finished website to appear properly. This often includes coding to indicate bolded or colored text, different fonts used, placement of images, indication of background designs and many other various elements. An HTML editor is a program that allows a person to more easily access the code for a website and make desired changes.
Any program that can open a text document, including simple notepad programs, is able to open an HTML document and access the code, thereby acting as an HTML editor. Dedicated HTML editor programs, however, are designed to make HTML coding and programming simpler. This often includes options to allow syntax and coding parameters to be more easily placed without having to type certain aspects of the code each time. Some HTML editor programs are also designed with a database of what is allowed in HTML to more easily detect mistakes made by a programmer working with the software.
An HTML editor will typically be like any other type of specialized software and allows experienced users to quickly and easily achieve a number of different tasks. These types of programs often have shortcuts and key bindings that allow a user to quickly insert standard HTML syntax or cut, paste, and reformat HTML code. Novice users working with an HTML editor may need to practice extensively with the program to understand what all of the features can allow a user to do. Some of these programs can also be quite expensive, and for someone just learning HTML it can often be easier to look for tutorials or books on HTML while using a simple notepad program as an HTML editor.