I want to design pages.
should i learn html first or start doing it in Dreamweaver?

also how are websites created? by writing the codes or by software like coffecup?

IMO yes.



I think you'll find it challenging even to use a WYSIWYG editor if you don't understand anything of its output.



Both ways, and then some. Different strokes for different folks.

A lot of web sites are essentially databases. There are no plain HTML files anywhere. The server software generates it all on the fly, based on information in the database.

Yeah, like this forum. That's one "and then some". But as soon as you want to make the smallest change to the templates you need to know what you are doing.

Absolutely.

Ultimately, the browser doesn't care where the HTML comes from. All it sees is what the server sends it.

If you're going to edit plain HTML files, then you should know how HTML works, even if you're using Dreamweaver or CoffeeCup or some other software. If you're going to edit the HTML produced by server-side programs, then you need to understand HTML and the language(s) used for those server-side programs.

Besides, talking from my own experience here, a WYSIWYG can be confusing if you don't know anything about what's behind a webpage. I made my first try with a WYSIWYG editor called Smash! and I knew absolutely nothing about anything. I got hooked the first night and didn't know how I would survive in the future when the trial expired. But I couldn't get things right and had to start over again and again. Then I discovered the HTML files were just text and quite readable too and they could be edited. I soon forgot my lovely Smash!. Good riddance...