---
title: "Short note: WYSIWYG authoring tools"
subject: "Internet and Intranet"
chapter: 6
key: "semester_8/internet_and_intranet:note-wysiwyg"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/internet_and_intranet/note-wysiwyg
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Short note: WYSIWYG authoring tools

Internet and Intranet · Chapter 6: Internet and Intranet Systems Development

- Asked in: 2074 Bhadra, 4 marks; 2074 Magh, 4 marks; 2071 Bhadra, 4 marks; 2070 Magh, 4 marks (asked 4 times)
- Video: [WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHsaUaebHlU) — FREE COURSES FOR ALL
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/internet_and_intranet/note-wysiwyg
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/internet_and_intranet/chapter-6

## Question

Write a short note on WYSIWYG authoring tools.

## Short answer

WYSIWYG means What You See Is What You Get: a visual editor writes HTML/CSS behind the scenes while the designer sees the final look. Advantages include no coding knowledge and fast development; disadvantages include bulky code, less control and browser differences.

## Answer

**WYSIWYG** stands for "What You See Is What You Get". A WYSIWYG authoring tool lets a person design a web page visually, by typing, dragging and formatting, while the tool writes the HTML, CSS and scripts in the background. What appears in the editing window is nearly the same as what the browser will show.

#### Features

- Visual editing window, with toolbars for fonts, colours, tables, images and links.
- Automatic generation of HTML/CSS code, usually with a code view as well.
- Templates, themes and site management (page tree, link checking, publishing by FTP).
- Preview in browsers and support for forms, multimedia and sometimes scripting.

#### Examples

Adobe Dreamweaver, Microsoft FrontPage (older), Microsoft Expression Web, KompoZer, BlueGriffon, and the visual editors in CMS such as WordPress.

#### Advantages

- No need to know HTML, so beginners and non-technical staff can build pages.
- Fast development and easy changes.
- Gives a good idea of the final result.
- Useful in intranets where departments update their own pages.

#### Disadvantages

- Generated code can be bulky, non-standard or messy, giving slower pages.
- Less control than hand-coding; output may differ between browsers.
- Limited for complex, dynamic functions.
- Software can be costly and may create dependency on the tool.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What does a WYSIWYG tool do?
   A. Lets you design pages visually while the tool writes HTML/CSS in the background
   B. Requires typing all HTML by hand
   C. Only compresses images
   D. Hosts websites
   Answer: A. What you see in the editor is nearly what the browser will show. (Key point: Meaning of WYSIWYG)

2. Which is an advantage of WYSIWYG tools?
   A. Always produces perfectly clean code
   B. Beginners with no HTML knowledge can build pages quickly
   C. Gives total control over every tag
   D. Works best for complex dynamic functions
   Answer: B. No HTML knowledge is needed, so non-technical staff can update pages. (Key point: Advantage)

3. What is a common disadvantage?
   A. Generated code can be bulky or non-standard, giving slower pages
   B. No preview is possible
   C. They cannot create tables
   D. They need no software
   Answer: A. Auto-generated code may be messy and gives less control than hand coding. (Key point: Disadvantage)

4. Which is an example of a WYSIWYG authoring tool?
   A. Adobe Dreamweaver
   B. Wireshark
   C. Apache Tomcat
   D. Perl
   Answer: A. Dreamweaver, Expression Web and KompoZer are WYSIWYG authoring tools. (Key point: Examples)