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Webpages consist of text written in HTML code. - Freeware, open source and other non-commercial webpage development tools allow users to create webpages and even complete, robust websites. The tools may include not only the ability to author pages but also the ability to transfer the pages to a web host, perform basic edits to website graphics and create interactive forms.
- The two broad types of free webpage development tools are code-based and WYSWIG (what you see is what you get). Code-based tools are text interfaces that allow the author to write webpages using native HTML or CSS code. The author can view the page he is writing by loading the page into his web browser. WYSWIG tools are visual interfaces that generally do not require the webpage author to write code. For example, a WYSIWIG interface allows the author to add graphics and reorganize text in a webpage by dragging and dropping in much the same way that desktop publishing tools function. In addition, some hybrid webpage development tools allow the author to switch at will between writing code and using the desktop publishing approach.
- Well-financed organizations can create high-quality websites with the help of design, writing and programming professionals. Small businesses, nonprofit organizations and other organizations, and home users, however, may be limited to webpages and websites they can create in-house. The wide availability of, and wide variety of, free webpage development tools allow those organizations to establish a web presence that might otherwise be beyond their means.
- The web component of the Internet consisted in early forms entirely of text and served the needs of a limited and specialized audience. However, as the web grew in visual richness and came into mainstream adoption, even casual home users began to seek out webpage-authoring tools. Shareware and freeware authors met that need at a time before commercial webpage authoring tools emerged.
- Although free webpage tools do not have an initial purchase price, they may lack the kind of customer and technical support that consumers and businesses expect from commercial software packages. Some free webpage development tools may be free only to home users or other limited user types, requiring businesses to pay a licensing. Software developers generally indicate licensing and usage limitations in an electronic file included with the software itself.
