QuickHTML

Summary

The app QuickHTML brings a development environment to your Android device. It allows you to render HTML code whilst on the go—this can be useful for keeping track of ideas, for example.

Find out more in today’s review.

Test device:
-HTC Desire with 2.3.7 (root and custom ROM)
-Acer Iconia A500 with 3.2

QuickHTML’s main view is set up in a clear, straight forward way and reveals the following buttons:

• New Projekt
• New File:
• File Manager
• Settings
• HTML-Reference
• Feedback
• About

In order to keep track of files you can set up a New Project to which you can save the HTML files. A project contains the "/assets/" folder (for image files and the like) and the "/src" (for HTML files).

HTML files are created under New File; the editor pops up when you hit this button—be sure to hit the button in the menu in order to save new files.

The editor is set up rather intelligently: the signs (<,>,=,",/) are located at the top of the display above the text field—a cool feature as it saves you the trouble doing a detour to your keyboard whenever you need to enter special characters.

The slots (free storage space that can be used to enter text) are located beneath the description field, as are the chars (for more symbols), run and clear. Click on run to render and display the HTML file.

Projects and pages can be opened using the File Manager, though it doesn’t harbor functions such as copy, paste or rename.

Go to the settings if you wish to make changes to the editor: the size and arrangement of the buttons can be adjusted, and there are configurations options for the slots, too. Slots function like a clipboard, meaning they can be used to store complex HTML codes that you may need more than once; one click and the code can be inserted to the editor. Very nice indeed!

I’m also very pleased with the HTML Reference function, which harbours a very thorough reference guide, allowing users to quickly and efficiently look up HTML syntax.

Bottom line:
QuickHTML provides users with some truly useful and well-thought out functions. That said, I can’t say I’m particularly partial to the UI.
The slots and HTML reference library are a brilliant idea.
The application rendered all HTML texts during our test runs.
 

QuickHTML’s main drawback is the UI. I found the editor difficult to use due to the size of the display which covered up the buttons. The ever-present, overbearing ad banners put a damper on things, too.

Another major drawback: the app is not adapted for tablets. This is truly a bone of contention, because it would make perfect sense to be able to use the app from a tablet.
 

QuickHTML didn’t crash or lag at all during our test runs, and it runs very fast. Rendering HTML codes takes but a brief moment.

QuickHTML is available for free from the Android Market, but, again, I want to underline that I found the ads to be a nuisance. They are everywhere, squeezed into almost every window, and it’s just plain annoying. How about a pay-for version minus the ads?