NoteTab

For the first time ever, I made this ENTIRE blog post using a program called NoteTab. What is NoteTab? Think of it as Notepad with HTML functionality. It is a program created by the Swiss developers, Fookes Software. One of its biggest advantages is in accessing multiple text files at once. I learned of this program as I was doing some reading online for modifying rFactor. One site suggested I not use Notepad and recommended using NoteTab. I read up on NoteTab and liked what I read, so I downloaded it and tried it out. You can even use NoteTab to do HTML editing. Would you believe me if I told you that you could actually make a simple web page by using this... TEXT editor? That's right! I said you can make SIMPLE web pages with this program. So if you want something a bit more fancy (or a LOT more fancy), look elsewhere.

This blog post is my look at NoteTab. For the record, I am using NoteTab Light in describing this program to you all.

Using NoteTab.

Play-testing with NoteTab, I found it to be quite powerful in editing. My most recent blog post regarding beautiful women from South America was actually taken from an RTF file I had prepared. I used NoteTab to do some basic editing and to test the limits of actually being able to blog with it. Obviously, what I type in NoteTab and what I eventually copy-and-paste to Blogger/Blogspot are two different things.

Here is a behind-the-scenes thing about my blogging. I keep all of my blog posts in an *.RTF file, and I use WordPad. The RTF file is all in Unicode text. I do this to keep blogging simple while also not having to worry about dealing with constantly formatting text. Do you really think I spend hours on my PC typing up EVERYTHING from start to finish (especially my longer blog posts)? That would be near impossible (and a waste of my youth... what little I have left, anyways)!. I go with WordPad because it is simpler for me to work with and better at certain features. One of the biggest advantages of Wordpad is in the ability to replace text. I may sometimes misspell a certain word and need to replace every instance where I use that word.

What I like about NoteTab is that a lot of the HTML code that I use in creating my blog posts is made in a simple and easy way. The best thing is that you can actually add and edit clips that you can use in making blog posts. You can double-click on a certain item to freely add it to your blog post to make HTML code you can use to enhance your blog posts. Most of what you see works. This can be REALLY useful for blogging.

How I Use NoteTab for Blogging.

Every new file you create is a text file (unless you arrange to set up an HTML document. I prepared this blog post by simply making a new file. I set up this post while setting the Clipbook to HTML. Whenever I need to set something up (like an embedded image or a HTML link), I look to the Clipbook and select whatever item I want to use. Some items may have a quick wizard set up to make the HTML importing process fast and simple.

I still have a browser open because I usually will need to use the Internet to search for things to include into my blog posts. The one thing I will need to get adjusted to is saving individual blog posts as *.TXT files rather than have everything (including code I normally use) in a big *.RTF file. I do still need that big RTF file from time to time, so I keep that on standby if I need to refer to it.

A thing I REALLY love about NoteTab is that I can simply right click and then highlight "Copy All" to have everything I type be automatically copied to my Clipboard to be pasted in Blogger. This is a HUGE help for me!

Varieties of NoteTab.

NoteTab comes in three varities including trial versions. Remember I told you earlier that I am using NoteTab Light. You can download one of three versions of NoteTab- Light, Standard, and Pro. NoteTab has all the basic features needed to make simple web pages, text files, and even blog posts. Most of the features in the Standard and Pro versions are nice to have for more intense usage of text files and things but are not really NEEDED (at least for a blogger like myself). For example, the Standard and Pro versions have things like a spell checker, customizable menu shortcuts, and things like that. It's okay for me. I can just use the spell checker thing with the certain browser(s) I use when I copy-and-paste my blog material to Bloger/Blogspot.

There is only one complaint I have with NoteTab. I wished that since I may use NoteTab mostly for blogging, I would have liked a suite that allows you to set up and test out HTML code without needing to use Internet Explorer or something. Otherwise, this is a super-solid program, even in its Light form. By the way... NoteTab Light is FREE- no nagging screens or donations. The Commercial Version features can be accessed and used within a one-month frame upon download. After that, you either need to purchase or download (and pay) for the Standard or Pro versions.

Brief Recommendations (Bonus Section!).

If you learn anything from me, learn this (especially if you want to be your own blogging star)- learn some HTML code. Two sites I would recommend are Quackit and W3Schools. Both are great online resources to use when you want to quickly learn certain bits of HTML code to make your blog posts more interesting. As an example, you might have seen some blog entries of mine where I use HTML tables to prove points. I learned on Quackit how to make HTML tables. I later applied what I learned in making quality blog posts with HTML tables. I am always looking to find new ways to incorporate more content into my blog posts. So if you want to do SOMETHING to make your blog posts more interesting, try learning some HTML either online or with some books on HTML code.

The one warning is that not every bit of HTML code is a good idea to include in a basic blog post. I use the Blogger in Draft interface for my blogging. You'll want to make test posts where (at least in the Blogger/Blogspot interface) you just put together a bunch of code. Rather than release a test post online, just Blogger/Blogspot Auto Save your draft. Then, use the Compose tool to sample your code.

So there you have it- at least experiment using different kinds of HTML code that is blog friendly.





To learn more about NoteTab or to download NoteTab for yourself, please visit www.notetab.com.

Thank you for reading!

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