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December 24, 2010

The History of Microsoft FrontPage

Developed in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Vermeer Technology Incorporated, FrontPage has the file extension of _vti_ to confirm. Microsoft acquired Vermeer in January 1996 only so they could add FrontPage to their product repertoire during the browser war years. Ironically, FrontPage was the designing power behind their browser, Internet Explorer.

WYSIWYG

FrontPage is most commonly known as being a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that simplifies creating web pages. This type of editor hides the complicated details of HTML code from the developer so they are able to see the website as it is being created. It gives a live snapshot as changes to the site are made. This is the perfect tool for novice web developers.

Bundles

FrontPage was initially released by Microsoft bundled with the circulation of Windows NT 4.0 Server and Internet Information Services 2.0. FrontPage 1.1 was to be run in conjunction with NT 4.0 or Windows 95. The initial aim of the program was to provide administrators with a resource enabling them to create rich internet content in an easy-to-use package.

Extensions

Initially, FrontPage required IIS extensions which are server-side plug-ins. The purpose of these was to include the software into the Microsoft Office bundle. At this point they were renamed to FrontPage Server Extensions (FPSE). In order to publish content, both types of extensions needed to be installed.

Cross-Compatibility

Microsoft released Windows-based and Unix-based extensions for cross-compatibility. As the software developed, newer versions were also available that supported the WebDAV protocol used for remote web authoring. In 1998, Microsoft took a chance with their FrontPage software and released a version for competitor Macintosh OS. This version had much fewer features and Microsoft has not updated it since.

Phase-Out

In 2006, Microsoft announced that it will begin phasing out FrontPage products to support Microsoft SharePoint Designer and Microsoft Expression Web. Sharepoint allowed developers to easily design applications for the software. Microsoft Expression Web was designed for those web professionals that create feature-rich websites. The discontinuation of FrontPage took place by December 2006.

FrontPage has had a decade long history of excellence for beginners and veterans alike. Although Microsoft still provides help for FrontPage, eventually this will end and Sharepoint and Expression Web will rein kind. These newer programs built on the already robust infrastructure that was Microsoft FrontPage. Hopefully these will further streamline the creation of websites and web content for beginners as FrontPage did.

Tags: FrontPage,  Microsoft,  Internet Explorer,  WYSIWYG,  Microsoft SharePoint Designer,  Microsoft Expression Web