When a browser interprets a web page, it is essentially reading a plain text document that has special code in it (such as html and css) to represent styles, links, forms and other elements. Web developers either use this code to create websites or they use applications designed to write the code for them, or a combination of the two.
The drawbacks to application-written code are:
- They are time sensative. Code standards change over time and depricated code is not likely to be supported in the future as it’s support slows browsers down. Older code-writing applications may use some of these depricated bits of code, making it’s end product scheduled to crash on future browsers and future versions of existing browsers. If you’re using software to write code, be sure it is up-to-date. Dreamweaver® is really good about this.
- Code can easily get mixed up, causing an unpredicable arrangement and display of content. This is because the application doesn’t know what the intention of the operator (the person building the wesite) is, but just does what it’s prgrammed to do. For example, if you put your cursor at the end of a header (display/visual mode) and hit Enter (or Return if you’re using a Mac), then start typing your first paragraph, you might find that your paragraph is being styles just like the header. What happened? Well, you’re still within the area of code (called an element) designated to be styled that way. How do you get out of that element? You’ll either have to keep playing around with it (possibly causing more problems), start over or be able to access the code and know enough to sort it out.
- The code can tend to be porely organized. As different web languages have different purposes, they are best kept seperate, usually as their own files. Otherwise, returning to the site to edit it becomes a hassle, as things can’t always be found easily and/or they have to be changed on every page. Code-writting applications don’t always take care of this for the operator, but instead place all the various languages in one document, making it a coding nightmare. Perhaps this isn’t so bad if you’re trying to avoid the code altogether, but good luck finding a friend who’s willing to help you sort it out if something goes wrong. Also, these documents of code can increase load time (at least to a small degree) since a lot of it is repeated.
So why would anyone want to use an application to write their code?
- Applications can speed up code writing. This is probably the biggest advantage they have. As an example, Dreamweaver and Coda (and perhaps others) in certain cases can predict what code you’re beginning to type and instantly provide a list (if you wish to use it) of potential code words as sort of a cheetsheet. If you see the word you want, you can select it and these applications will fill it in for you. This may sound but mildly helpful, but the time it saves adds up pretty fast, and it can help you learn if you take notes from it.
- The colored code is easier to read. Again, adding to the speed factor, but this can also deter haedaches (well, frustration anyway). Applications that let you look at the code, display different aspects of it in different colors. Black on white, as you can imagine (or may have experienced), is much easier to get lost in.
- Even people who don’t know much about web design can create something with one of these applications… usually. Of cousre, that comes with the stipulation that they keep it REALLY simple in all aspects. Some web apps don’t even have an editable preview mode (e.g. Coda). These ones obviousely won’t work for an HTML iliterate, but can still be great for someone who does know a web language or two.
- Quicker, easier publishing. Some applications allow editing access right to the server. This means there is no need to have a local (on your computer) set of files, which you have to edit and then upload a copy of to the server. Instead you just edit the file right on the server, again saving a lot of time.
In short, applications can help speed things up, but human care must then be taken to ensure the code is organized and error-free.
Tags: application-written, coding, hand-coded, hand-coding
