Labs

Of all the programs on test, CoffeeCup HTML Editor 2007 is the one that most requires the user to have at least some knowledge of HTML. However, don't let this put you off - there are lots of reasons to like this program, not least its low price.

Originally, CoffeeCup HTML Editor only allowed you to work with code, and there was no WYSIWYG workspace at all. Even now, the WYSIWYG environment feels underdeveloped compared with those of its competitors. Things that you'd normally expect to be able to do, such as specifying a background colour or

ADVERTISEMENT

page transition effect, you can do only in code. However, this is not as intimidating as it sounds. The program's menus and wizards walk you through fairly complicated tasks, such as creating dynamic HTML elements, step by step.

There are a few things about the program that we don't like, however. We could do without being forced to save the file we're working on each time we switch between code and WYSIWYG editing. Placing images inside a table was tricky (the image always seemed to sit on top of the table) and, while linking to external Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is easy enough to do in code, it would have been handy to have a quick-fix tool for this.

Having said that, this is a great program for anyone who likes to tinker with things and wants to understand how a website works. If you know even a little bit about HTML or are prepared to learn, you can quickly get very good results from CoffeeCup HTML Editor. Simply use the WYSIWYG environment to do the basic formatting, stick text and photos where you want them, and then use the code view to tweak everything into precisely the shape you want. The price is great, too.