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Creating Web Content with TextEdit

TextEdit must be a well-known Application for all Mac users. Besides its simplicity, it's also been loved because of its effectivity.

One of its useful, hidden, and effective feature is saving in the form of webpage (usually known as HTML format).

What are those features that support building webpage content? Those features are Inserting Link, Building Table, Constructing List, and Customize CSS Style. However, make sure that the file is already saved in with HTML format.

Changing to HTML Format

This is the most important part before going through other tricks; without this part, applying other tricks will end up in vain. Let's see how to do it. Don't worry it's just 3 steps.

  1. Create New document Command-N and Save the file Command-S
  2. Go under File Format
  3. Choose HTML

It's easy, isn't it?

Link Mania

Links is one of the important factors for building web, especially for bloggers. Fortunately, TextEdit provides quick, easy, and only 3-step away to insert link into TextEdit itself.

  1. Highlight the text you want to be linked to.
  2. Access to Menu Bar the one with Apple on the leftmost, then go under top down menu Format. Mouse hover the Text and it will show up to the right another menu, look for Link... . It's rather hard to describe with words. However, the fastest way will be exposed at the bottom of this article.
  3. Enter the destination link. Hit Return. The highlighted text will be underlined and displayed in blue. It just like link (of course).

Link address should be inserted into this

Table Content

Enhance the web page with various kind of tables and do it fast; the best recommendation is using TextEdit. It just need a little time to master these steps and use it effectively.

  1. Make it quick, the Menu Bar - Format - Text - Table...
  2. Inside there can set up from the number of Rows up to create Nest Table.
  3. Experiment it and feel the might of TextEdit
  4. Here is snapshot of table property

List Generator

Instead of typing <li> all over the way when creating a long list, it can be done in an easier way.

  1. Make the desired first list
  2. Highlight it, then go to Menu Bar -> Format -> Text -> List...
  3. Various of bullets, prefix, and suffix can be chosen there

See inside the List...

Customize CSS Style

By default, TextEdit provides inline CSS that will give disastrous effect on web page default style (if any). Best recommendation is to use no style format for TextEdit. However, it depends on each person preference.

Follow these few steps to change TextEdit CSS settings.

  1. Go under Preferences..., can use shortcut here: Command-[ ,]
  2. Rush through the Open and Save tab
  3. Search for Styling and change to your preference

It's just a three-quick step. For additional information, here is snapshot of what will be expected to see under Open and Save tab.

There also a lot of external sites that write articles about this, should check it out. Including Mars Report that explain clearly the pros and cons using TextEdit, Apple Official Documentation about setting up TextEdit as HTML, Mac OS X Hints that explain clearly the reason of disabling CSS Style, or maybe Ask Dave Taylor which give faster but more complicated way (according to my slow-brain) to convert to HTML file.

Categories: Internet, Tips and Tricks, Utilities
Tags: Editor

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