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November/98

 

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Microsoft FrontPage 98 Box Microsoft Frontpage 98

Reviewed By
Mireille Massue

Want to see what you come up against, when you have to do a web page? Go to our Application form, and take a look at the document source and see how complicated a web page can be. (In Netscape go to View - Page Source. In Internet Explorer, its View - source). Think you have to learn HTML to do this form? For the most part, the PCCT Web Team didn't have to. FrontPage 98 came to our rescue. Why go through the headache and the stress of learning HTML when you can use a web authoring software that can make you look like a genius instantaneously. OK, maybe not that quickly. There are some things you should be aware of first. Let's take a look.

What is FrontPage 98?
FrontPage 98 is a web authoring software that allows you to use some of the most advance features like Java applets, ActiveX controls, browser plug-ins, support for databases, table formation, creation of frames. etc. without learning the intricate detail of HTML

What you get in FrontPage 98

  1. FrontPage Editor to design your pages,
  2. FrontPage Explorer to manage your site,
  3. Microsoft Image Composer to create and manipulate your graphics,
  4. A choice of three web servers, to install on your computer before you install the FrontPage software. This is so you can see what you have created on your computer before you upload it to your ISP,
  5. A Web Publishing Wizard, to help you publish your site on your ISP's FrontPage server and,
  6. A manual, which is why we have previewed two books on FrontPage 98 from MS Press and distributed by ITP Nelson.

Why should I use FrontPage 98 when I can learn HTML?
I recommend you learn HTML. I'm learning, albeit slowly. The ease, of adding FrontPage 98 components, allows you more functionality to your site without have to take months, if not years to learn HTML. For example: David Paikin, one of our Web Team members used a form wizard to create our Application form. Daniel ffolliott, with his HTML knowledge, modified the form to be consistent with the rest of the PCCT Web Site. Without FrontPage 98, Daniel and/or David would have had to :

  1. create an HTML form ( which would've taken hours to do,)
  2. write a CGI script, (a program written in Perl) which neither of them know, or find a site that has a CGI script that the ISP would support. FrontPage 98 has its own wizard and form handlers (CGI scripts) which removes both these steps and,
  3. We would have had to pay someone to write the script for the forms we needed. That would have conflicted with part of our objective of "minimal cost."

Two things you should be aware of

  1. Install your choice of Web Server on your computer first. Read the installation steps carefully.
  2. Make sure your ISP offers a server that supports FrontPage without charging extra. Look to Microsoft web site for a list of ISPs that support FrontPage 98.

You have FrontPage 98 and your ISP doesn't support it.
That's what I found out after John Swinimer, consultant for Hill and Knowlton, a public relations company for Microsoft sent me a copy of FrontPage 98. I had wanted it, to create a site, for the PCCT Web Team. My ISP didn't support FrontPage and the PCCT Web Site ISP, although supports FrontPage charges extra. We chose to create our forms using FrontPage saving us from creating them from scratch.

How do some of our PCCT members use FrontPage?
When one of Daniel ffolliott's clients want him to take over a web site and switch it to FrontPage, Daniel imports the site into FrontPage along with its image files. From there he can make any changes using FrontPage editor and then upload it to the server that support FrontPage

Steve Rakus, a PCCT member for 6 years, has been using FrontPage since its inception. What he likes best about FrontPage is the FrontPage Editor, which allows him to easily create images, tables and graphics. The first thing Steve does before he creates any site is PLAN how the site will look allowing him to make sure that all the components complement each other. His main reason for creating his web site was to promote his book "Dr Tips presents.....Tips and Tricks for Windows 95/98 & NT4", 2nd edition as well as inform people about the latest PC viruses on his page called "Bug_Alert". Although Steve uses FrontPage, he suggests that you learn HTML because it is with the HTML knowledge that has allowed him to produce good and reliable web sites. Don't believe me, take a look at some of the sites Steve has created with FrontPage.

What's great about using FrontPage 98?
We look very professional while maintaining our objective - low maintenance, short learning curve and minimal cost.

Future Plans - FrontPage 2000
As we start planning for 'The Members Lounge", we are looking at FrontPage 2000 to create this section of our web site. The managing and updating of sites will be easier allowing the SIG leaders and Board of Directors to maintain their own section, without involving the web team (remember low maintenance.) In the meantime, we're looking at Tripod, one of the Free Web site communities that now support FrontPage 98 to host our Links Directory and archives. We'll be able to easily create our tables, and use a search engine to look up the articles we archive, even add a number of forms to help us connect with our members. Our plans for the Designers Corner, will include monthly articles, resources and interviews from designers who use FrontPage exclusively or in part as we did with our forms.

Stay with us. We have plenty to learn, show and share with you, as we focus on creating, an award winning presence on the web.

Want to reach the PCCT members in this article?
David Paikin, is a PCCT member and is part of the web design team

Daniel ffolliott is part of the web team and is a freelance web designer and owner of Impala Solutions, specializing in custom web site designs for small and medium-sized businesses.

Steve Rakus will be a contributing writer for our FrontPage section in Designers Corner, and, is a Professor at Seneca College and is author of a book called "Dr Tips presents … Tips and Tricks for Windows 95/98 & NT4, 2nd edition

FrontPage Links

Have an interesting FrontPage Site to share with us?
Email me, and I'll put them up in our Links Directory under FrontPage.