Latest Open Source Code Editor: KompoZer

KompoZer is an open source WYSIWYG HTML editor software that claims to be a complete Web Authoring System.

KompoZer combines web file management and easy-to-use WYSIWYG web page editing capabilities found in Microsoft FrontPage (discontinued in 2003), Adobe DreamWeaver and other high end programs. In addition, it also allows direct code editing as well as a split code-graphic view. It is maintained as a community-driven fork and is a project (kompozer.sourceforge.net) on Sourceforge.

KompoZer is based on a rewritten version of the Nvu editor (discontinued in 2006) which it self was based on the Composer component of Mozilla Application Suite and Gecko 1.7.

Its interface feels kind of similar to DreamWeaver with following features:

  • WYSIWYG editing of pages, making web creation as easy as typing a letter with your word processor.
  • Integrated file management via FTP. Simply login to your web site and navigate through your files, editing web pages on the fly, directly from your site.
  • Reliable HTML code creation that will work with all of today’s most popular browsers.
  • Jump between WYSIWYG Editing Mode and HTML using tabs.
  • Tabbed editing to make working on multiple pages a snap.
  • Powerful support for forms, tables, and templates.
  • The easiest-to-use, most powerful Web Authoring System available for Desktop Linux, Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh users.

The main focus of KompoZer is ease of use, making it ideal for newbies who want to create an attractive web site without needing to know HTML or web coding. It eliminates the need of a separate FTP program. Once your pages are ready, just do a single click to upload them to your web host. It has a sidebar to display the files on your server.

KompoZer allows to use separate folders for images and other files although, maybe the target users of this software won’t care.

Overall it’s a very good program if you use it within its limits. It was created for a very specific set user and purpose and that it is very successful. If you’re a novice user trying to create simple web pages this may be the perfect tool for you.

Just download KompoZer and install.