Whats better using HTML/CSS edited by hand or using design programs? and why?

Question

For design websites is it better to do it your self by learning HTML/CSS or using web design programs? and why?

Answer 1

Learn for yourself so you can figure out how to do things exactly how you want them to be done, and not have to rely on some sort of program to figure it out for you.

Answer 2

I prefer the by hand approach. That way you know exactly what you're getting. Plus I haven't found an editor that produces HTML/CSS that doesn't need some tweaking especially if you are targeting multiple browsers.

Answer 3

Doing it by hand. Using design programs tends to insert a lot of extra markup you don't really need, which will just complicate your ability to learn.

If you do it by hand you at least know what was inserted where, and why. Plus there are a lot of good websites out there that can walk you through the basics.

Answer 4

I prefer HTML/CSS by hand because you have the most control over the code. Most design programs will add additional markup that is not required. Even simple WYSIWYG JavaScript editors add extra markup. Although, not a huge difference in file size, the additional markup will add up over time. I would also argue that its easier to maintain code when you know what went into its creation.

Additionally, you'll learn a lot more by taking the time to do it by hand.

Answer 5

They really serve two purposes, and either one is "better" for it's purpose.

If you learn to do it by hand, you will:

• Have more control over exactly what is happening
• Have less extraneous code
• Be able to maintain your code more easily

If you use a program, you will:

• Be able to design visually
• Possibly be able to design more quickly
• Not have to learn to write CSS by hand

It really depends on what your goal is.

Answer 6

Personally, I always edit my HTML/CSS by hand using editors with auto-completion if I can, because that always makes life easier. You should definitely always learn a language as much as you can before you start relying on any program to generate code for you, because most of the time you end up fixing what they gave you.

Answer 7

I tend to do it all by hand.

1. Doesn't matter what IDE or server-side language I'm using. Mark up is markup. Being able to do it rapidly by hand is valuable.

2. More often then not, you'll have to edit some markup manually. By writing it from scratch, you're already very familiar with the structure of the markup. You don't have to spend any time orienting yourself to the designer-generated markup.

3. Although not necessarily a rule, those who live in the designer I've found to be less sharp in their markup and code craftsmanship.

Answer 8

Like anything else in technology, learn the core concepts first, and then use a tool to automate the things you have mastered. By doing so, you will gain a better understanding of how everything works together, and you be able to easily tell when something goes wrong. In this way you will not be bound to any one design tool, and can use whatever works best because you understand the core concepts.

In the words of Richard Feynman,

"That which I cannot create, I do not understand."

Answer 9

IMO you will still learn using web design programs like Dreamweaver, since you have to look at the source and make it fit your exact desires,and its quicker. But doing it by hand will give you the more you write the more you learn type of thing that I agree with 100%

Answer 10

This is a bit vague.

I think that "better" (qualitatively) depends greatly on (1) the competency of the designer, and (2) the sophistication of the application.

Regarding "better" (as in "advisable"): using an application can be a crutch that may fail to save you in all cases. Knowing how to "raw code" html and css is valuable in understanding the limitations of the application and working around those limitations. For that reason alone I suggest knowing how to do it by hand and then keep a sharp eye on the output generated by the application, should you choose to use one.

Answer 11

I've bounced back and forth between hand coding and Dreamweaver in my history as a web developer.

I originally started out hand coding HTML. This was back in the day when table layout was king, and editing nested tables became a real headache. Couple this with a lack of good tools for visualizing hidden elements and this quickly became a nightmare.

I started using Dreamweaver primarily to speed up my table design workflow. Soon, however, Dreamweaver's templating system became a godsent when I started producing static websites that had no server backend. Being able to update one template and have it propagate across the entire static site cut down my cross-page inconsistencies to nearly zero.

More recently, the whole web 2.0 push has got me, and almost everyone else, back into the hand coding game. I found Dreamweaver wasn't really suitable for the compliant designs, since it was heavily table-centric. I find that most of the HTML I write these days is so straightforward and simple there's little need for an editor. Additionally, all my development is now dynamic once again, so there's no need for a static html generating template system anymore.

Answer 12

The absolute best is when you understand what you are doing - you can only do this by coding by hand.

If you don't know HTML or CSS and you use a WYSIWYG editor then how can you be sure everything is right? You can't!

If you have a good understanding of HTML and CSS why would you use a WYSIWYG editor? They make things harder because you can't see the code and extra tags and rules get inserted without you knowing.

Coding by hand is always the best.

Answer 13

Why should you know about xhtml/css ?

Here is some reasons:

• Respect semantics meaning
• DOM compliant (you know the javascript mess)
• Easier to maintain
• Search Engine Optimization

You still think it takes a longer time to design/integrate a website ?

Think of use vi, eclipse, quanta, and probably some others...

Answer 14

By hand is the obvious answer, because your website/application will be, well, better. (And also because, if you use JavaScript, it's good to traverse through the DOM of a document you've written yourself, versus a generated one that you have to examine beforehand.) But that's mostly only because the visual tools that exist today really suck (I'm thinking of Dreamweaver). It's definitely possible to create a good visual editing (WYSIWYG) program that actually generates good HTML/CSS/JavaScript, but nothing even close has come up yet, so right now hand-coding is much, much better.

Answer 15

I'm not going to read the responses, so its quite possible someone has already said this, but oh well.

First and foremost, you should always write out your HTML / CSS by hand. The reason for this is that no matter how advanced an HTML editor is, it will never be as good as it could / should be. For "good" html / css, you will actually end up writing your page in a different order than what you see.

For example, a page that is displayed like:

________________
|logo          |
|----menu------|
|..............|
|...content....|
|..............|
|....footer....|
----------------

"should" actually flow as follows:

<h1>title of site</h1>
<div id="content">.....</div>
<ul id="menu">....</ul>
<div id="footer">...</div>

which an HTML editor would simply throw a hissy fit if you did it through the nice pretty gui. What may be advantageous is to use Web Expression 2 or Visual Studio for its intellisense. It may help speed up (or maybe slow down) your learning curb.

I really recommend Transcending CSS Design if you are already familiar with HTML / CSS. Otherwise grab a CSS book first even over an HTML book. Styling through CSS will teach you proper semantic HTML (or should,anyway).

Answer 16

I like to code by hand because i can keep my code clean and tidy that way. HTML is not very hard anyway.

If you decide to code by hand you will need an editor that supports syntax highlight, and you will need to validate your code as often as possible to avoid errors (this is good practice anyway). This extension for Firefox will ease your work a lot: users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/