Can You Still Get FrontPage Support?

Much of the web design community is in disarray as an icon grows closer to complete extinction.  If you haven’t heard the news, Microsoft has discounted its popular FrontPage web design tool.  FrontPage 2003 was the last version and this highly successful line was officially replaced by Web Expression in 2006.  If you rely on FrontPage to design websites, don’t panic because Microsoft will continue to support the software until the latter part of 2009 and offer extended support until 2014.  The good thing is that you have the option of importing your FrontPage-built site into the Expression Web environment.  In these article we will talk about how these two web design tools match up to find out what you might be missing one day.

What’s Different

Expression Web was designed to be backwards compatible with FrontPage.  This simply means that is supports websites built with the FrontPage client. And while it also sports a similar interface, the one thing you may notice when working with Expression is that it lacks components such as photo galleries and web forms that had become standard in FrontPage.  The reason these elements were left out is because they created code that did not meet W3C standards.  If you have an existing website that contains these elements there is no need to worry as they can still be maintained and modified with the Expression application.  The major difference is that the new software offers numerous tools that let you create the same features in a manner that is more customizable and mostly importantly, W3C compliant.

Expression Benefits

Perhaps the greatest benefit of Expression Web is that it doesn’t require the use of FrontPage server extensions.  The unique advantage is that you can still use the software to update sites created with the server-side technology.  You just will not be able to create new components that require FrontPage extensions.  Another benefit of Expression is that it provides easy access to tools that allow you to edit CSS without any knowledge of Cascade Stye Sheets.  This is similar to how FrontPage provides comprehensive tools that help you manipulate HTML programming.

When looking at it from this angle, you can see that Expression Web certainly offers a level of simplicity that is reminiscent to its predecessor.

The Outlook on FrontPage

In the end, Expression Web is definitely worth switching over to and the transition should be a smooth one for those who are familiar with FrontPage.  While there is a learning curve with some of the new tools, the basics are straightforward and will help you get set up right away.   The more complex tools can be learned along the way and easily implemented when you make updates to your site.

Even though the software is no longer in development, you will have a much easier time finding FrontPage support opposed to Expression Web at the moment.  It has become a popular niche in the web hosting arena and almost everyone offers it.   Just keep in mind that there will probably come a time when FrontPage is phased out altogether. Until then, enjoy.

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May 13, 2009 : FrontPage Hosting No responses yet

Establishing Your Web Presence with FrontPage

The proven capabilities of FrontPage has made FrontPage web hosting one of the most popular hosting solutions around.  This niche service is particularly a hit among users who lack web design skills as well as the financial resources needed to hire a professional designer.  The technology behind this type of hosting provides the ability for someone with no programming experience to create a professional website that ranks among some of the best in terms of appearance.  FrontPage hosting is ideal for simple personal sites or large e-commerce sites that require dynamic elements and features such as photo galleries, web forms and hit counters.

What is So Special About FrontPage Hosting?

FrontPage web hosting is one that offers support for the popular web design and management software tool developed by Microsoft.  The major draw to this type of hosting is a simplicity that enables virtually anyone to create a great looking website regardless of experience.  FrontPage does not require you to know complex server-side languages such as Microsoft’s ASP or even more basic client-side technologies like HTML.  On the other hand, those who are skilled in HTML programming can benefit tremendously from the ability to add and edit code. These modifications can all be made through a comprehensive interface that caters to the user already familiar with the Microsoft Office environment.

Aside from simplicity, FrontPage hosting also tends to be among the most affordable solutions around.  In fact, this tool has become so popular that it comes included in the majority of the hosting plans on the market, available in both Windows and Unix-like flavors.  Additionally, FrontPage offers a number of features to help build and manage your site.  This includes easy to use drop-down menus, check boxes, radio boxes and instant team websites to support multiple users.  Not to be overlooked is the plethora of pre-designed templates that allow you to instantly change the look of your site along with the web import dialog feature that gives you the ability to connect remote sites.  FrontPage offers advantages for the anyone who wants to create a data-driven site where users can be interconnected in a variety of ways via XML.  This and much more is all made possible through its intuitive WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) editor.

Finding a FrontPage Solution

When looking at all the benefits, it is clear to see why FrontPage is such a popular offering in the web hosting arena.  If the this is the type of feature you desire, you will first need the Microsoft FrontPage application installed on your computer.  This program usually comes bundled with the Office suite on older versions of the Windows operating system.  Secondly, you will need a host that supports FrontPage through a special set of scripts known as FrontPage Extensions.  Because there are so many hosting providers on the market, finding this type of support shouldn’t be a difficult task at all.  With these vital elements intact, you can have your FrontPage site online in no time.

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May 06, 2009 : FrontPage Hosting No responses yet

The Importance of FrontPage Extensions

FrontPage extensions are a vital element of FrontPage hosting.  These software modules are installed on a server, enabling the end-user to enjoy the advanced functionality of a website built with the FrontPage application.  If you want to get the most out of this dynamic website publishing and management tool, you will need a web host that has FrontPage extensions installed on their web server.

With FrontPage extensions, you have the ability to effectively administer your site on any computer with the FrontPage client installed.  The machine can have either an internet or intranet connection.  This basically means that a web host with FrontPage extensions installed gives you the luxury to manage your site entirely from the FrontPage application.

The Power of FrontPage Extensions

Some of the capabilities FrontPage extensions offer include:

Easy Management - FrontPage extensions give you a lot of power, including the ability to easily maintain hyperlinks, create navigation bars across all your web pages and automatically format pages for a professional appearance.  Managing a website with FrontPage extensions is fast and simple.

Advanced Administration - One of the great benefits of FrontPage is the administrative power it grants.  You can set permissions for administrators, multiple authors and even your website visitors.  This feature is very useful for the webmaster who wants to trim time off administrative tasks.

Instant Functionality - FrontPage extensions allows you to incorporate a number of interactive features into your site.  This includes hit counters, discussion forums and web forms.  The process of adding these functions is made easy, even for users with limited knowledge in creating dynamic web pages.

FrontPage and FrontPage extensions have introduced simplicity to an environment that is often considered complex.  This type of hosting makes a great option for those with little money and programming knowledge as well as those who don’t want to waste time transferring files to the server.  You don’t have to configure CGI scripts or know how to install third-party scripts on the server.  All you need to do is get familiar with FrontPage, a user-friendly product that caters to the beginner and extends its power to more advanced users.

Don’t Forget to Activate Them!

When signing up for FrontPage hosting, there is one simple administration aspect that must be performed before you get started - you need to activate your FrontPage extensions.  If not, you may find yourself wondering why you can’t upload your website to the server.

While this is a fairly easy task, make sure this information can be found within the hosting provider’s technical support section.  In most cases, activating FrontPage extensions is as simple as logging into your control panel and checking a box that turns them on.  Some web hosting companies require that you send a request via email so an expert technician can take care of it.  Whatever the method, it usually takes about an hour for the server to register the activation.  Taking note of this simple step can save you a lot of time and get your FrontPage site online much faster.

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Mar 25, 2009 : FrontPage Hosting No responses yet

Easy Web Publishing with FrontPage Hosting

Thanks to the underlying technology, FrontPage hosting has become one of the most popular types of niche hosting available.  FrontPage is a web design and management tool developed by Microsoft, a user-friendly program included in the Microsoft Office software suite.  This applications allows users with little to knowledge of HTML and server-side programming to create dynamic, interactive websites.  FrontPage offers a simplistic point-and-click functionality that revolves around the built-in WYSIWYG display, an editor that is suite similar to others found in the Microsoft Office lineup.

Enter FrontPage Hosting

FrontPage offers an array of features that appeal to advanced users and beginners alike.  Veterans can make the most of their sites with the ability to format and edit HTML code.  Those who lack programming skills can benefit from the wide variety of pre-designed web template styles and sizes that can be incorporated in a few easy clicks.   The FrontPage application is one that can help power both personal and business sites.

The beauty of FrontPage hosting lies in complimentary Microsoft technologies known as FrontPage extensions.  These extensions allow you to get the most out of FrontPage when working on the web host’s server.  Without them, you will not be able to enjoy all the features the FrontPage client has to offer.  Many of the advantages of FrontPages are provided through features that can only be accessed through a server enabled with these amazing extensions.

What You Get with FrontPage Hosting

When opting for a web hosting solution that offers support for Microsoft FrontPage, you will have access to the following features:

Hit counters - FrontPage hosting makes it easy to track the number of visitors checking out your web pages with the ability to easily incorporate hit counters

Forms - Forms are great for collecting email addresses and other information about your website visitors

Discussion forums - With FrontPage hosting, you can easily set up a thriving community where your users post comments and interact with one another.

Search Capabilities - The built-in search feature allows you to insert a search engine where visitors can not only find information on your site, but the entire World Wide Web as well.

Multi-user authoring - If your site requires that multiple programmers work on web pages at the same time, it can be accomplished with the multi-user authoring feature.

Remote authoring and management - This feature allows you and authorized users to handle important administrative tasks from any computer with an internet connection.

As we mentioned above, these great features are only offered on a server equipped with FrontPage extensions.  If you have your own server and the technical knowledge, you can install these extensions yourself.  If not, you will need a provider that specializes in FrontPage hosting.

Working with such a company should not be hard as FrontPage support has become a common feature on the web hosting market.  Best of all, this type of hosting is generally affordable and available on both Windows and Linux platforms.  When building your site with FrontPage, visitors will never know it was created with a simple web design tool.

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Mar 17, 2009 : FrontPage Hosting No responses yet

What You Should Know About FrontPage Hosting

Microsoft introduced the world to its FrontPage application in 1996.  Every since then, this popular website development and management tool has been used to create a large number of personal and enterprise-class sites.  The benefit of FrontPage is all in the simplicity it offers.  As a part of the Microsoft Office suite, it features tools and menus commonly found in other MS applications.  This provides a comfortable environment for anyone familiar with Microsoft Office products.  The fact that the program doesn’t call for any knowledge of server or client-side programming makes FrontPage a hit among inexperienced users.

Easy to Use and Robust in Nature

Anyone that has ever used FrontPage will agree that Microsoft created the program with the novice in mind.  This is all made apparent with the WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) editor, a user-friendly interface that allows you to edit web pages and view them exactly as they will look when your site goes live.  With drag-and-drop functionality, you can easily edit HTML while experiencing little to no errors.   Creating an entire website is almost as simple as cutting and pasting content in a Microsoft Office application.  Even advanced webmasters can benefit from using FrontPage as it provides the ability to insert your own HTML code.

Not Just for the Novice

Though FrontPage was built on simplicity, it does enable advanced website creation with support for Active X as well as a variety of browser plug-ins and Java Applets.   It also allows you to create more feature-rich, interactive web pages.  Hit counters, discussion forums, built-in search engines, form handlers and link bars can all be incorporated without any complex server-side programming.   These features can be enjoyed by simply using the icons and drop-down menus to insert your content.

In order to reap the benefits of all FrontPage to offer, you will need a web hosting provider with the relevant FrontPage extensions installed on their server.  FrontPage extensions are server-side extensions that give a web server ability to deliver functionality of the FrontPage client.  Without FrontPage extensions, all the applications you create will not function.  While these extensions were designed to perform on the Windows platform, they are also available on Linux and other Unix-like servers.  A FrontPage web hosting provider should provide you with detailed instructions on how to install FrontPage extensions.  In most cases, the process is as simple as clicking a button to enable them.

Advantages and Disadvantages

FrontPage offers many benefits including the ability to create a site with easy navigation and view your traffic statistics.   The advantages are plentiful but that are a few drawbacks you need to be aware of.  For example, you may be required to perform a little freehand coding to get your website to display properly on a browser like Netscape or Opera.  This could be a problem for someone who does not know anything about programming.   There will also be limitations on how dynamic and interactive your site can actually be.  Even with such minor disadvantages, the benefit of simplicity and power make FrontPage a viable option for website development.

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Feb 09, 2009 : FrontPage Hosting No responses yet