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**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [June 19, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/wysiwyg-html-editors-and-rails/63847 "2006-06-19T21:39:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@wksmall](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wksmall)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/wysiwyg-html-editors-and-rails/63847/1 "2006-06-19T21:39:29Z")
What wysiwyg html/CSS editors do people recommend. I’m mainly
interested in FOSS programs
that I can run on WinXP. Sometimes you just have to create some
mostly-static pages and
make them look nice. I see that Guy Kawasaki is using Nvu, which is
based on Mozilla
composer. Any of you guys have any experience with that?
Warren Fred
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**Author:**  [@wksmall](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wksmall)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/wysiwyg-html-editors-and-rails/63847/2 "2006-06-20T19:06:37Z")
I think you’ll find that most people like to get fairly close to the
code in
a text editor. A WYSIWYG is not really appropriate for developing rails
when you need to be at the coldface of the code in your views.
I guess you could use one to get you started in your view, get the look
and
such if that’s what your after… But I don’t think many here would use
one.
---
**Author:**  [@wksmall](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wksmall)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/wysiwyg-html-editors-and-rails/63847/3 "2006-06-21T15:21:09Z")
I use scite and radrails and emacs for most of my work. But I’m not in
love with CSS and all that and would like to layout big chunks of some
pages in something that will put the boxes where they belong (ref to CSS
box model). CSS has had great promise but even it’s experts agree it’s
a royal pain.
I keep telling my friends I’ll write a book “21st Century Web Page
Layout with Tables”. I’d be rich, except it’s too easy and nobody needs
that book.
Warren
Daniel ----- wrote:
> I think you’ll find that most people like to get fairly close to the
> code in
> a text editor. A WYSIWYG is not really appropriate for developing rails
> when you need to be at the coldface of the code in your views.
>
> I guess you could use one to get you started in your view, get the look
> and
> such if that’s what your after… But I don’t think many here would use
> one.
---
**Author:**  [@wksmall](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wksmall)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/wysiwyg-html-editors-and-rails/63847/4 "2006-08-03T14:24:04Z")
in my experience, you will not be able to get the WYSIWYG experience
when
using such editors for rails. the syntax used in rails is not recognised
like html tags or even ASP/PHP/JSP code chunks. The more likely result
would
be mangled preview visuals.
---
**Author:**  [@wksmall](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wksmall)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/wysiwyg-html-editors-and-rails/63847/5 "2006-06-21T22:35:00Z")
Daniel is correct in that standard rhtml is not that easy to edit with a
WYSIWYG editor.
(warning shameless plug ahead)
However if you are interested in doing WYSIWYG editing then you might
check
out the MasterView plugin for rails which extends rails with an html
friendly templating engine which can be edited nicely with a WYSIWYG
editor
without giving up all the power of layouts, partials, and rails helpers.
Check out the website ([http://masterview.org](http://masterview.org)), rubyforge project (
[http://rubyforge.org/projects/masterview](http://rubyforge.org/projects/masterview)) or the video to learn more (
[masterview\_quick\_start](http://masterview.org/videos/masterview_quick_start.html)). The video
demonstrates using NVU to edit your templates and how the changes
instantly
get reflected in the application.
MasterView is open source (MIT license) and available now.
I’d be happy to answer any questions that you have regarding the project
and
its uses.
Jeff
---
**Author:**  [@wksmall](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wksmall)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/wysiwyg-html-editors-and-rails/63847/6 "2006-08-03T14:24:06Z")
Like the other posters, I’m not using anything for the HTML. However, I
am using StyleMaster as a CSS editor. It’s not free, but has increased
my CSS-writing efficiency by a significant amount. Only downside is it
doesn’t have sftp, only ftp.