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How do I edit HTML files using Windows NotePad?

Dave, I am reading your book Creating Cool Web Sites and you say on page 22 "suppose you recently created the file not-yet.html in NotePad..." and go on to show how it would look on Internet Explorer with and without HTML tags. But I cannot duplicate this example!

NotePad does not let me save as .html, nor does WordPad and if I save it as Web Page in Microsoft Word 2003 it won't work either. I am super motivated to get going but have just about ripped all my hair out as I can't get past the first step.

Dave's Answer:

Sorry to hear about your confusion and frustration! Hold off on any further hair ripping, however. It sounds painful.

Though it's not completely obvious, NotePad has the ability to save a file in "Text Document" mode, and that's what you want. In fact, when you're in NotePad and choose Save As, there are three snippets of information you need to supply: File Name, Save as type, and Encoding.

The choice for Save as type is "Text Documents (*.txt)", the Encoding should be ANSI, and the filename must have the .html suffix for the Web browser to then interpret what you've typed as an HTML page, rather than a text page. And that's where NotePad is a bit tricky: if you just type in a filename, it'll automatically give it the ".txt" filename suffix, which won't work how you want. You can add all the HTML you desire, but IE (and any other Web browser) will still show you the HTML, not interpret it.

To sidestep this problem, make double sure that when you enter a filename, that you don't leave a .txt stray filename suffix in the box, but instead make sure that it's a ".html" file, like this lower corner slice of the Save As dialog box:

I think that'll get you going. If not, let me know!

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Comments

I guess the filename not-yet.html has to be put in quotes else it willh have a .txt extension.

Amit
http://labnol.blogspot.com

Posted by: amit agarwal at January 26, 2005 7:34 AM

I don't think that's true, Amit. In fact, knowing Windows, I'd be afraid that I'd end up with a filename that included the quotes! :-)

Posted by: Dave Taylor at January 26, 2005 2:37 PM

It's probably more involved than the original poster may want, but I prefer to replace Windows Notepad.exe with Metapad (which is free).

http://liquidninja.com/metapad/

Posted by: Stewart Vardaman at January 26, 2005 4:37 PM

I too just bought your Cool Websites book and am having the analog of this problem with my otherwise glorious Mac. In TextEdit, I can't save it as a .html file. The only file format options I'm given are RTF and Word Format, both of which refuse to allow me to add the suffix .html. Suggestions? THANKS so much for your time Dave :)

Posted by: Liz McKenna at March 2, 2005 7:11 AM

Righto, Liz! Check out:

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_do_you_save_html_files_with_macs_textedit.html

DaveT.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at March 2, 2005 7:46 AM

I have a lot to say, but ...

I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!