TextEdit User Guide
You can use TextEdit to edit or display HTML documents as you’d see them in a browser (images may not appear), or in code-editing mode.
Click the button on the toolbar. Select the local file in the Open dialog. Click the Open button in the Open dialog to add the file. Click button to start. If the task is completed, you can right click the task item, and then click 'Open File' to open the image in your default image viewer.
- HTM or HTML is short for Hypertext Markup Language. It’s a file format used for containing HTML language which constructs a web page. This file format is based on markup codes intended to be used in Web Browsers. HTM contains formatted text, images, and other elements in a way that can be translated with web browsers.
- Since HTML language is saved in plain text, you can also open and edit HTML files with a basic text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad (Windows) or Apple TextEdit (Mac). However, these text editors do not come with features included with source code editors and web development apps that make it easier for developers to code.
Note: By default, curly quotes and em dashes are substituted for straight quotes and hyphens when editing HTML as formatted text. (Code-editing mode uses straight quotes and hyphens.) To learn how to change this preference, see New Document options.
Create an HTML file
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose File > New, then choose Format > Make Plain Text.
Enter the HTML code.
Choose File > Save, type a name followed by the extension .html (for example, enter index.html), then click Save.
When prompted about the extension to use, click “Use .html.”
View an HTML document
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose File > Open, then select the document.
Click Options at the bottom of the TextEdit dialog, then select “Ignore rich text commands.”
Click Open.
Always open HTML files in code-editing mode
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose TextEdit > Preferences, then click Open and Save.
Select “Display HTML files as HTML code instead of formatted text.”
Change how HTML files are saved
Set preferences that affect how HTML files are saved in TextEdit.
In the TextEdit app on your Mac, choose TextEdit > Preferences, then click Open and Save.
Below HTML Saving Options, choose a document type, a style setting for CSS, and an encoding.
Select “Preserve white space” to include code that preserves blank areas in documents.
If you open an HTML file and don’t see the code, TextEdit is displaying the file the same way a browser would (as formatted text).
A simple text editor is all you need to learn HTML.
Learn HTML Using Notepad or TextEdit
Web pages can be created and modified by using professional HTML editors.
However, for learning HTML we recommend a simple text editor like Notepad (PC) or TextEdit (Mac).
We believe in that using a simple text editor is a good way to learn HTML.
Follow the steps below to create your first web page with Notepad or TextEdit.
Step 1: Open Notepad (PC)
Windows 8 or later:
Open the Start Screen (the window symbol at the bottom left on your screen). Type Notepad.
Windows 7 or earlier:
Open Start > Programs >Accessories >Notepad
Step 1: Open TextEdit (Mac)
Open Finder > Applications > TextEdit
Also change some preferences to get the application to save files correctly.In Preferences > Format > choose 'Plain Text'
Then under 'Open and Save', check the box that says 'Display HTML files as HTML code instead of formatted text'.
Then open a new document to place the code.
Step 2: Write Some HTML
Write or copy the following HTML code into Notepad:
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Heading</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
Step 3: Save the HTML Page
Open Html File In Safari Mac
Save the file on your computer. Select File > Save as in the Notepad menu.
Name the file 'index.htm' and set the encoding to UTF-8 (which is the preferred encoding for HTML files).
How Do I Open Html File On Mac
Tip: You can use either .htm or .html as file extension. There is no difference, it is up to you.
Step 4: View the HTML Page in Your Browser
Open the saved HTML file in your favorite browser (double click on the file, or right-click - and choose 'Open with').
The result will look much like this:
W3Schools Online Editor - 'Try it Yourself'
With our free online editor, you can edit the HTML code and view the result in your browser.
It is the perfect tool when you want to test code fast. It also has color coding and the ability to save and share code with others:
Example
<html>
<head>
<title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>This is a Heading</h1>
<p>This is a paragraph.</p>
</body>
</html>
Click on the 'Try it Yourself' button to see how it works.
W3Schools Spaces
If you want to create your own website and host your .html files, try our free website builder, called W3schools Spaces: