Links to Tools for Webmasters
As promised, I have listed here some links to the tools that I use for writing web pages. There are many more available, and some may be better than these, but it should provide a starting-point if that's what you are looking for.
Web Hosting
While there ARE free web hosting services, I would not recommend them to anyone who wants to write their own scripts. Most of these "free" hosts don't charge you because they use your website to put up their own advertising banners. Also, many of them don't have Perl available, and if they do, they provide no help or services for you when you are debugging your scripts.
Having recently gone through two bouts of terrible service at my former hosts, iPowerweb and BlueHost, I have just begun using a new server, HostGo. I strongly recommend them. They provide all the features you will need to use any of the snippets presented on Professor's Coding Corner. Their technical support has been excellent, in helping me move 16 of my websites without any interruptions.
FTP
The FTP client that I have used for years is Cute FTP. It comes in both a free and a pro version. Both versions allow you to communicate easily with your website, and both come with an integrated file editor.
Text Editor
One program that I can't do without is a good text editor. I recently started using Edit Pad Pro, and I don't know how I managed before! It has really helped prevent me from making "dumb" mistakes in my coding. For example, curly braces { } are often used in Perl to contain sections of code. It is VERY EASY to forget to put on that final }, especially when the block of code takes a long time to key in. With Edit Pad Pro, you just click your cursor on the beginning curly brace, and both braces are highlighted, so if one is missing, it's very easy to spot. The software comes with a 90-day free trial period, so you can test it out before purchasing. You can download it here.
