Have you ever wanted to edit and update your Web pages using your PDA? Well, if you use a PocketPC then you can with HTMLEdit.
PDAs, like the Palm and PocketPC devices, are still some of
the hottest
pieces of portable technology. Everywhere you look, there's at least
one person with a PDA in hand. Sure, they're great for logging
appointments and events, tracking contacts, and more. But with the
right software a PDA can also pull duty as an HTML editor.
This, of course, begs the question "Why would anyone want to
use a PDA to build Web pages?" If you're on the road and need to
quickly craft a new page, or update an existing one, using a PDA is a
logical choice. In the time it takes you to boot up your notebook, you
can be deep into Web coding on a PDA. And PDAs are great tools (not
just for Web authoring, either) in crowded public places where pulling
a larger device out of its case just isn't practical.
Web authoring tools for common PDAs are few and far between.
For PocketPC devices, the best of the (small) bunch is a program called
HTMLEdit from a small development shop called Bnksoft.
A Little Bit About HTMLEdit
HTMLEdit is a lot like the Web tools that started popping up
circa 1996 -- similar to a text editor with several Web authoring
features. While it's not as feature-packed as many recent HTML apps for
the Windows desktop, HTMLEdit packs a lot of punch into a small space.
The functions that HTMLEdit has will impress you; you'll wonder how the
developer .
HTMLEdit isn't going to win any GUI beauty contests. It's
interface is simple and functional. If you've ever used a text editor
or basic HTML editor, your learning curve is practically zero. You'll
be able to figure out the program after only a couple of minutes of
tapping with your stylus.
Templates
HTMLEdit comes loaded with six templates, each of which make
setting up a new Web page a snap. To access them, you simply select the
template you want from a list. The templates are:
Empty--a blank document.
Standard--a simple page with body attributes and a sample
link.
Form--which is a sample online form.
Outline--a standard chapter or Web site outline.
Report--the skeleton of a formal report complete with a
space for a summary and list of key points.
Table--a simple Web page containing a two-column table.
Nothing spectacular here, but these templates can save you a
lot of time setting up a new document. Each template is easy enough to
modify. However, you can't add your own templates to the default list.
If you have a set layout you like to use, you keep it in a separate
document and open that document when you want to use it. Just remember
to save your template under another name.
Tags
In HTMLEdit, you can add markup to your documents in three
ways: using the soft keyboard on your PDA's screen, through handwriting
recognition, or by using a tag list. The first two options are just
like typing tags by hand in a text editor. The tag list is a different
matter entirely.
The tag list contains the standard HTML 3.2 tags, along with a
few HTML 4.0 tags and proprietary extensions like <BLINK>,
<CENTER>, and <MARQUEE>.
There's also a set of frequently-used entities.
When you select a tag from the list, a dialog containing
common attributes like STYLE, TITLE,
WIDTH, HEIGHT, etc.
appears before adding the tag to your document. You can select the
attribute you want to use and enter a value in the field at the bottom
of the dialog. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Well, it doesn't
always work as it should. For example, whenever I used the <IMG>
tag, chose the SRC attributes, and entered the
source of the graphic I wound up with <IMG (image
source)> instead of <IMG
SRC="(image source)">.
While HTMLEdit lacks native support for Cascading Style Sheets, the tag
list does include the <STYLE></STYLE>
tag pair. You can add these tags to the header of your document, but
you'll need to manually enter the individual style definitions. The <LINK>
tag is also included, and one of it's attributes is REL=.
Be warned that typing the parameter for this attribute may not work;
you might have to do some manual editing to get the pointer to your
style sheet to work properly.
You can't add your own tags to the list, although BnkSoft is
planning on adding a "Custom Macro" feature so you can build your own
set of tags.
Other Useful Features
HTMLEdit also packs a couple of features you'll definitely
find useful.
The first of these is a built-in previewer. By tapping a tab
on the interface, you can instantly view your pages as if they were
live on a Web server. Without the need to launch an external browser.
The preview is pretty good, although I found the fonts to be a bit
small. Luckily, you can change the font size in HTMLEdit's
configuration options.
Now that you have Web pages, and they look OK, how do you get
them on to your Web server? You could transfer the files to your
desktop PC and FTP them. Or, you can use HTMLEdit's built-in
Upload function. This feature really surprised me -- I didn't expect an
FTP client (software used to transfer file to and from the Internet) in
an application this small. To use it, all you have to do is specify the
FTP connection settings to your Web server and go. There's also a
Download function that you can use to pull files off your server.
According to HTMLEdit's author, "if you are connected behind a
firewall you must get the FTP Proxy server and
HTTP Proxy correctly configured in HTMLEdit before it will work." He
admits that this has been a confusing issue, but adds that he's working
on making it easier for the next version.
While not every Web jockey will use a PDA to craft Web
content, I'm sure there are quite a few out there who will. It's a
logical step for people who want to keep their Web pages current
without being shackled to a desktop or notebook computer. For those Web
authors who are also PocketPC users, HTMLEdit is a nice addition to
their portable toolkit. It's well worth the $14.95 (U.S.) registration
fee. HTMLEdit isn't fancy, but it packs enough punch to get
the job done. And quite handily, too.