By Jennifer Kyrnin

Many Web Development jobs require some knowledge of HTML beyond just editors. Knowing more tools or having more skills than the general public is true of many different jobs. Technical Writers often need to know Framemaker or how to read C programs. Graphic designers usually need to know Photoshop, Illustrator, and have an extensive portfolio. So is it really a surprise that Web Developers should know the back end (HTML) of what they are developing?

Bob Bonnell writes: I run a web site for Purchasing professionals, and have been trying for a year to find someone that is willing to learn the basics of HTML, before they use a WYSIWYG program. It's like pulling teeth.

Many companies use editors to create their pages. I use HomeSite and ColdFusion Studio, as well as Dreamweaver and NetObjects Fusion. These tools help me create more complex pages faster and give me more flexibility. But, when I applied for the job, I needed to know the HTML. And if I apply for a promotion, I'll be seen as flexible and adaptable if I do use the editors, but I'll still need to know the HTML.

MUSHIN2000 writes on the forum: I don't think knowing HTML is enough. Not anymore. All the jobs I see want Java, JavaScript, ASP, JSP, ColdFusion, etc.

The thing that I find interesting is that there really aren't any visual tools (yet) for developing Java, JavaScript, ASP, JSP, or ColdFusion. There are tools, yes, but not WYSIWYG, visual editing tools. In order to get a Web Development job these days you do need to know more technologies than simply HTML.

And once you learn to write HTML, you can quickly progress to more difficult technologies (many of which are related to HTML in some way). Stuart Patterson writes: Understanding how to hand code HTML offers the Web designer/developer the ability to mature more rapidly in the development of ... HTML generated from PHP, ASP, Cold Fusion, etc.

But why is there such a strong sentiment about using editors or "coding with Notepad"?

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