WYSIWYG editors, what's really wrong with them?

I have been trialling the new Dreamweaver and I have to say I am amazed that it can create tableless valid xhtml/css!

So, what is really wrong with WYSIWYG editors?

If they create good code then what's the big problem?

People won't have something to complain about anymore, and that just won't be good.


Because wasting more time troubleshooting tons of hand code is much more "pro" than getting the job done, making the client happy, and collecting that lovely check.

Originally Posted by Bennett People won't have something to complain about anymore, and that just won't be good. Because wasting more time troubleshooting tons of hand code is much more "pro" than getting the job done, making the client happy, and collecting that lovely check.

Heh.

I use Dreamweaver, but I hand code 99% of it. I can't stand other peoples or programs code... I have to know exactly where and how everything is setup and working. Also helps with trouble shooting.

Also, Dreamweaver is able to create valid code, but when you get into anything slightly complicated, it starts freaking out... especially with div clearing.

I prefer to hand code. Like what Blue Ire said, it helps me trouble shoot, and I just know whats going on when I code myself. However, every once in awhile my code does tend to get messy.

I haven't gotten my hands on the new Dreamweaver yet, but as far as older WYSIWYG editors go, they have a messy way of producing code. Also, I guess a lot of people like having absolute control of the code and seeing the code while they work on it.

I hand code - I just use the wysiwyg to see if the layout is displaying how I want it

Originally Posted by Mikor I hand code - I just use the wysiwyg to see if the layout is displaying how I want it

Couldn't you just use a browser?

I like WYSIWYG editors for a quick piece of coding, perhaps stuff that doesnt need to be all strict and valid -just functional.

I am going to trial the new Dreamweaver, I always seem to think that its difficult, is it hard to get to grips with?

Because a WYSIWYG Editor (in design view, obviously) is like a "servant" cooking up what you want, but it may not always be the way that you want it... therefore you (the main chef) have to do it yourself to get it the way you want it.

Many WYSIWYG Editors cant handle complex css layouts, and tend to break. I find handcoding much faster (and having 125+ wpm helps), you don't have to waste your time changing what the Editor chose to put in for you, you put it all in there yourself, and you know exactly what elements you used, where you used them, what styles you applied to them, etc... and this definitely helps in troubleshooting.

That's why I prefer handcoding.

I'm 100% anal about how my code is laid out. Dreamweaver doesn't follow my style, so I don't use it. Then again, I'm not coding as part of my job so the benefits of speed (efficiency) of use (of Dreamweaver) doesn't matter.

If validation is your only goal, then DW does a fair enough job. So, why not use it? Get out into the real world and tell me how many coders really hand-code. (less than you'd think)

Originally Posted by Julian So, what is really wrong with WYSIWYG editors? If they create good code then what's the big problem?

I don't use WYSIWYG editors because:

1. They are big programs (not sure how big, but I think DreamWeaver is probably more than 100mb), they take some time to open.
2. There are no benefits for me. Let's say I want to create a sidebar for a site, I make a div and I type some CSS. I'm not sure how a WYSIWYG editor can do this faster.
3. The preview window doesn't show your site in multiple browsers (I think), so you can see how it looks in DreamWeaver, but you still have to check IE, Firefox, Opera and possibly more to see how it really looks like.

I have used DreamWeaver once about 2 years ago and I currently use Notepad2.
When I want to code something I open Notepad2 and I can start coding immediately. If I want to edit my HTML and CSS at the same time I press a shortcut and another Notepad2 window opens up.