Text Editor
Step 1: Get a decent text editor
Windows comes with Notepad installed, but I recommend the open source (free) program, Crimson Editor, instead. Unlike Notepad, Crimson Editor makes it easier to catch mistakes by color-coding your code, including HTML, XHTML, CSS, PHP, ASP and other coding languages. It also lets you keep multiple files open, search and replace throughout all open files at the same time, save all open files at the same time, remotely edit files that are online, and more.
April 7, 2009 edit: Mac users: Crimson Editor is only available for Windows. My apologies for not realizing this before writing the beginner tutorial series. Please see this comment for a Mac alternative, and substitute “Text Wrangler” any time I say “Crimson Editor” throughout these tutorials. I’ve known Morwen Oronor online for a while now and, if she recommends it, it has to be good. 
End edit.
Visit the Crimson Editor homepage to get an overview, then click on their download link to download the latest version.
Notice in the above screenshot what happens when you leave something out. The word “first” is supposed to be enclosed in quotes, but because I omitted that closing quote (see where the cursor is at line 17, which is highlighted in the screenshot), the words after that are purple when they should be black, and the <em> tags surrounding “not” and </h2> at the end should all be blue with black brackets. Pretty handy, eh?
Colors may differ, depending on how you set your Crimson Editor preferences.
It’s tutorial time!
Now that you know the importance of using the right code, it’s time for you to start learning how to write that code. Let’s move on to the first tutorial, xHTML basics.
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I did about two hours’ work with the practice page this morning.
I use Text Wrangler on the Mac. It’s a really great program. It changes the font color as you change the coding so that all the same type of code appears in the same color, that helps when you’re looking for a specific type of code.
Download it for free here” http://www.barebones.com/products/TextWrangler/download.html
Thank you for that tip, MO!
It sounds like a good alternative for Mac users, including colorization of code like you said, as well as their remote editing functionality. I also hadn’t noticed until looking again just now that Crimson only works on Windows, so I’ll make an edit to my post for Mac users to substitute “Text Wrangler” every place where I say “Crimson Editor.”
Thanks again!
Question: Does Crimson Editor work with Vista? I went to the website above and found only WINDOWS info……but nothing mentioning Windows VISTA…..which sounds weird but is way different than any of the Windows XP’s?
Welcome, overthehillfan.
That’s an excellent question, and luckily I can answer that in the affirmative. The computer I’m on right now has Vista, and I have no trouble using Crimson with it. 
SWEET! I’m off to download! (BTW…it’s me, Queeny)
I know.
I just thought you might be going incognito. 
Enjoy!
NOPE…that is actually the first online name and the one I use for most accounts….that are IMPORTANT! LOL
BTW…..that editor is cool……just showed hubby, now he wants it too! LOL
Yes, you used to use it at Ren’s place.
I wonder whatever happened to him. 
Does your hubby code, too?
Don’t know what happened to Rene…..I sent him a Christmas card last year and for the first time in 3 years he did not answer back…
And when I sent foreverXena her card, she answered and so I asked her and she said she lost track of him too… 
No..Hubby does not code….he won’t even do a chat room or help me with mine unless I need a graphic or something made….
I think he may have been thinking of using it for perhaps his “Statement of works” he does for his job or something…not sure.
That’s too bad about Rene. I hope he’s ok.
It’s good that your hubby does graphics. Once you get fluent in code, you can go into a side business together.
His sister made him sign up for Facebook in order to view some baby pictures…and he was like…..”I HATE THIS! How do I do this or that, and why am I getting all this crap!”
Poor hubby.
I wanted to try to get Crimson, using wine on my Linux.. but I found out.. ubuntu has a built in editor, that is pretty nice… I still kinda like notepad better :p
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/6783/texteditor.png
What self-respecting Linux user would say they like notepad better?
:lol:
Hmm, now I’m looking at that and wondering if I can bold some of the code in Crimson, too. I’d never played around with those settings much, because the default is fine by me. Maybe I’ll look tomorrow though, just out of curiosity.
well I’m really new at this. I have understood everything well and I enjoy reading more and more . Im learning something also. Thank you for your website.
It’s my pleasure, Iggyn8us. Thank you for the comments, and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you ever need to.