Internet Marketing
Tools
Part Seven Text Editor Basics
If you've spent any time exploring your computer, you've
probably noticed a program called Notepad. To be honest, I never really used
the program prior to developing my Internet business, as I simply used my
word processing program. Now, I don't know what I would do without it. Notepad
is an excellent text editor that has a variety of uses such as writing HTML,
editing scripts, and writing ezine articles -- just to name a few.
Writing HTML
When designing a web site, most Internet marketers prefer
to use an HTML editor to write their HTML, as it can greatly simplify a somewhat
difficult process. However, using an HTML editor has its disadvantages, as
they have a tendency to add a lot of unnecessary coding and may not support
the latest technologies. For this reason, many Internet marketers prefer
to write the code themselves with Notepad.
Although writing HTML code with Notepad will certainly be more time consuming,
your code will be much cleaner and can reduce your file size
considerably.
Editing Scripts
When managing a web site, scripts are used to add
interactivity. They're used to perform a variety of tasks such as form
processing, message boards, and database management.
When using scripts for your web site, most of the time, you will be required
to edit portions of the script such as the location of Perl on your server,
paths to files and variables. Any editing you do must be done within a program
that won't add any special formatting. Notepad is the perfect solution. You
can simply open your script within Notepad, edit to suit your needs and upload
it to your server.
Writing Articles
Writing ezine articles is one of the most powerful
promotional methods used on the Internet. When formatting an article for
publication, you should avoid using your standard word processing program,
as they do not allow for proper formatting.
As there are many different types of email programs, writers must format
their articles to accommodate the majority. Some email programs automatically
wrap text at a certain number of characters -- while others won't wrap the
text at all. If an article isn't properly formatted, many email programs
will either force a portion of the sentence to the next line, or even display
each paragraph as one long line.
Articles should be formatted to 65 characters per line or less, including
spaces, and written in short paragraph sections. This guideline has become
the standard on the Internet, as it is a safe line-length for a majority
of all email programs.
Notepad is the preferred program used to write and format ezine
articles.
Text Editors
Although Notepad is a great little text editor, it can't
handle large files and is much better suited for small jobs. You may find
that you'd like an editor that is a little more powerful. I use a great program
called NoteTab Pro. This powerful editor will enable you to edit large files,
format your text, convert your text to HTML, and even includes a spellchecker
and thesaurus.
NoteTab Pro
http://www.notetab.com/
NoteTab is available in three different versions:
* NoteTab Pro - A full version text and HTML editor. Cost $19.95
* NoteTab Light - The freeware version of NoteTab Pro. It's completely free
with no ads or nag screens
* NoteTab STD - Identical to NoteTab Light, except it includes some additional
features such as a thesaurus, multilingual spellchecker and more.
Cost $9.95
As stated at the NoteTab site, the NoteTab family of editors is composed
of three variants. Below is a short list that explains the main differences:
The main advantages of NoteTab Light over NoteTab Pro:
• 100% Free (no ads and no nag screens)
• Can use variable-width fonts
• Better support for non-Roman alphabets (e.g. Chinese, Hebrew,
etc.)
Main advantages of NoteTab STD over NoteTab Light:
• Spell checker and thesaurus
• Clipbars -- user-made toolbars
• Can read and write outline-type documents
• Command for reformatting and justifying lines
• Modify and save EBCDIC files
• Can search/replace text in disk files
If you've been using your standard word processing program to perform simple
editing tasks, consider using a text editor. You may be surprised how easy
and convenient these programs really
are.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design
Mastery.
http://www.webdesignmastery.com
And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book.
http://www.ebookstarter.com
Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips
and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies."
http://www.web-source.net
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,
in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author
bylines are included.
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