SeaMonkeyReview

(click on image for larger view)

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML_editor

I wanted to choose a program that was Apple compatible, free, and was WYSIWYG format. My HTML editing skills are novice at best, so I wanted to use software that was extremely user-friendly and easy to use. After playing around with NVU and another HTML editor called KompoZer (which is basically an updated version of NVU that fixed some bugs), I checked out the SeaMonkey software. On the SeaMonkey website, it described Composer as "powerful yet simple." That concise description, as well as learning that SeaMonkey was affiliated with the same people that created FireFox, my web browser of choice, led me to download the software and see what it could do for me.

Is SeaMonkey worth it?

Definitely. Let me stress again that Sea Monkey is free software. I have never used an expensive HTML editor before, such as DreamWeaver, only free software such as NVU and KompoZer. These programs allow anyone to create websites in a snap, complete with images, different texts and backgrounds, and links to different sites. These programs are also WYSIWYG, so you don't need knowledge of confusing HTML code to make a website. What you type on the screen is how it is going to appear on the published website, but you can also view the source code of everything you have created with the click of a button. The software is simple to use, and you can easily create an aesthetically pleasing, helpful website in a matter of minutes.

SeaMonkey Composer is of the same variety: a free, WYSIWYG interface with Microsoft Word style buttons at the top of the website to assist you in your editing (font size, style, text layout). See below to see a picture of the interface of SeaMonkey:

(click on image for larger view)

If you wish to boldface, italicize, or underline text, these options are also available using buttons at the top of the Composer screen. Basically, you can do much of the same things with your text that you can do with Microsoft Word, including changing text color, configuring the text alignment (align left, align center, etc), and creating bulleted or numbered lists. For example, the images placed on this page were inserted aligned center, while most of the text is aligned left with indentations. Also, check out the directions for completing Mr. Juliano's Fantastic Web Quiz, easily created using a List format, which is done by clicking a button at the top of the page!

Finally, you may have noticed the indentations of the paragraphs have been changing. This is another simple task to perform: simply highlight your text, go to Format, and select Increase Indent. Your text will then be indented to where you want it to go! When you are done with all of your typing, there is a spellcheck feature, which proved to be most helpful.

Images

Inserting images is done by clicking on the Image button at the top of the screen. Then, you can select images from your desktop or a server, and the image will appear on the screen according to the justification you have chosen (the Wikipedia chart and Composer interface were snapshots I took using my MacBook. I then placed these images into a server folder, and inserted them using the Image option). Linking websites to your pictures is something that will be covered a bit later on.

Tables

Creating tables in Composer is done by clicking on the Table button at the top of the screen. Then, you choose how many rows and columns you wish to have in your table. The table will appear, and you are free to enter text. As you enter text, you will find that the table "formats itself" in a sense, so that it the size of the rows and columns are proportionate to the text entered. On Mr. Juliano's Fantastic Web Quiz, you will see a few tables on the website that list questions as well as contain images that are links to different websites. Also, at the bottom of this website, is a table that contains links to reviews of other HTML editing tools.

Background

Formatting the background of your website is another great feature. This is done by accessing Format and clicking on Page Colors and Backgrounds. From here, it is easy to choose what color you would like the background of your website to be. If you wish, you can create a custom background, save it as a JPEG file, and load that as the backdrop to your website. Actually, any JPEG on your computer can be used as a background to your website.

Horizontal Lines

Notice all of those horizontal lines throughout this website? All you need to do is click on Insert and then Horizontal Line. Once clicked, there is now a line running horizontal that separates different portions of your website!

Linking

My favorite feature of SeaMonkey Composer is linking both text and images to different websites. To link text to a website (which has been done numerous times on this website already), highlight the text you wish to make as a link and then click on the Link button at the top of the screen. Then, type in the URL of the website you wish your text to be linked to. After you click OK, the text on your Composer screen should now be underlined and have changed color. The same can be done for an image on your website, as well.

Linking

As great and simple as linking is, this is also where I ran into some problems. I desperately wished for my links to open in a new window, not the window a user was currently using to view my webpage (this is a pet peeve of mine whenever I am websurfing). This was especially important for my Web Quiz, because I didn't want my students to become lost in cyberspace or have to keep hitting the back button over and over again to find my quiz. Exploring the advanced linking options in Composer did not help me solve this problem, nor did consulting the Help feature offered by the program. What gives?

I took my problem elsewhere, eventually locating a SeaMonkey Forum. I posted my problem and it was quickly answered by a user of the discussion board (I'm guessing this is a common problem many users of Composer run into). When linking text, one should click on Advanced Edit after first clicking on the Link button. Then, select "target" from the Attribute drop down box, and type in "_blank" in the Value box. Sound confusing? It actually was quite easy to manipulate after I was told how to do it, but for an HTML novice like myself it would have been nice to have this feature explained in the Help section, or, have linking to a new window be as simple as checking a box somewhere in the Advanced Edit options.

Now, think linking to a new window for text seemed a little challenging? Try linking to a new window from an image, which is something I did numerous times for my Web Quiz. I eventually figured this out as well, only after following the instructions of a user from the SeaMonkey discussion board. Here are his instructions:

1) Get your page set up the way you want it with the images inserted.
2) Create the links, if you didn't do that as part of step 1).
3) Click on a linked image. At the bottom of the Composer window, you'll see a series of HTML tags, like <body> <a> <img>.
4) Click on the <a>, then right click (or hold "ctrl" and click if you are using a Mac) on the image and select "Link Properties..."
5) Click on the Advanced Properties button.
6) In the HTML Attributes tab, drop down the Attribute selection and pick "target". In the Value box, type in "_blank" (without the quotes).

Thanks to the SeaMonkey discussion board, I followed those directions and was able to successfully have my images be clickabe links that open in new windows. Was it a hassle? Yes, it was. But if I got the hang of it pretty quick, I'm sure you can to!

All-in-One

SeaMonkey Composer is a great HTML editor for those wishing to create a simple webpage in a short amount of time. But, Composer does not stand alone. If you wish to use SeaMonkey Composer, you will need to download the entire SeaMonkey package. Composer is merely a feature of the web browser, albeit a great feature. Some users may be turned off by the fact they have to install a whole new web browser on their machine simply to use Composer. If this is a nuisance to some people, then I completely understand. Still, my computer already has Firefox and Safari installed, and SeaMonkey didn't cause me any problems. I even used the web browser a few times, and it is a fully functional package. I will still continue to use FireFox as my main web browser, but will definitely keep SeaMonkey around for my HTML needs.