Authoring Tools

Web-Format Authoring Tools

The most basic form of authoring tools involves software programs that were originally designed to produce printable material, but that can expand their function into converting a printable document into a Web-formatted document, mostly in HTML. This document can then be uploaded to the Internet. Web-format authoring tools are the simplest for novices, who are probably already familiar with basic programs and therefore do not have to learn new authoring programs. The down side is that using programs designed for other purposes to author a Web site limits what can be done on the created Web page.

Word-processing programs such as Corel's WordPerfect, Lotus' WordPro, and Microsoft's Word originally were used to produce typewritten documents for printing. With the advent of the Internet, the software was expanded to enable Web-formatting features that save documents to an HTML format, and in some cases convert to a .pdf file in addition to the standard file extensions.

Other types of Web-formatting authoring tools are programs that were initially designed for desktop publishing (e.g., PageMaker, QuarkXPress, Publisher, CorelDraw, Photoshop). Documents created using desktop-publishing software can be saved mainly as pictures under a .jpeg or .gif format capable of being viewed on the Internet. However, some desktop-publishing programs, such as Publisher, allow users to save their documents as HTMLs too, and have even included Web-page templates. The files can be uploaded, and they can also be imported and combined with pre-existing Web pages using other Web authoring tools. For example, if a user is working with a word-processing program that allows the importation of a picture, the user can elect to import a project created in Photoshop and saved as a .jpeg. This document will be embedded in the final file, which can be saved as HTML.

A significant drawback to using these types of authoring tools is that the formatting and layout of the Web page may not appear the same on the Web as it appears on the user's screen during the creation of the project. When converting from a written document to HTML code, the programs sometimes add in extra scripting codes; therefore, saved file formats will sometimes become distorted. In order to have more control over the Web page's layout, specific authoring-tool programs created for Web publishing are available; they require users to learn new programs, and to participate in smaller amounts of coding.

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