WYSIWYG is the acronym for What You See Is What You Get.
WYSIWYG is an acronym : a type of acronym whose pronunciation is done as if it were a word. In this case, the expression comes from What You See Is What You Get , an expression of the English language that can be translated as “what you see is what you get.”
The idea of WYSIWYG is used in the field of computing to name a characteristic of editors and word processors that make it possible to work with information while directly observing the result of the work. This means that the user does not observe a programming language , but instead encounters the data reflected naturally, as it appears at the end of the edition or if it is printed.
WYSIWYG in website development
WYSIWYG is very important in the development of websites since it extended the possibility of creating pages to those people who do not have knowledge of HTML (the markup language used for the development of these publications). Thanks to WYSIWYG , the person can write the information in an interface similar to that found in word processors (such as Word or any other) and the program is automatically responsible for developing the source code that corresponds to the HTML . Whoever creates the site, in short, “gets what he sees” while writing.
The concept of WYSIWYG , therefore, is linked to the relationship that exists between the platform used for the development and editing of content and the result that is obtained once the work is done. When what the user sees is the final result, it is a WYSIWYG platform.
With WYSIWYG you do not need to know programming and markup languages.
HTML editors of this type
There are currently numerous WYSIWYG type HTML editors that exist and that make it easier for many people without being computer scientists or having programming knowledge to develop their websites. Specifically, among the most popular and used in recent decades are Composer , FrontPage and, above all, Dreamweaver .
That last program is an application that aims to create, edit and design web spaces. It was developed by Macromedia in 2007 , which was when its official launch took place, and it has achieved great success thanks to its functionalities, its tools, its support for standards and its ease of use.
However, there are those who consider that the fundamental success of Dreamweaver, compared to that of its rivals, is that it has a great capacity for customization and that it allows for truly fluid work.
Advantages of WYSIWYG editors
In summary, the main advantages of WYSIWYG editors are the following:
- They are very easy to use.
- -The user, at all times, knows what the final and real result of the work they are doing will be.
- They do not require being computer scientists or knowing anything about programming or HTML . That is, they can be used by anyone who wants to launch their web space.
- They have a wide variety of tools and resources.
- The vast majority of these editors have the advantage that they allow you to easily automate any function or activity that is carried out by the user on a regular basis.