~terry
Wed, Jul 24, 1996 (11:58)
seed
FrontPage for Windows 95 -- Creating web pages has never been
easier thanks to FrontPage, Microsoft's latest entrant into the world
of HTML Editors (Internet Assistant was the first). Microsoft has
integrated the Office 95 look and feel into its newest editor, making
the task of designing attractive and informative web sites as easy as
using Microsoft Word or Excel. The same spelling checker as found
in Office 95 is included, one of many features that helps to make
FrontPage competitive in an extremely crowded marketplace. Cool
features include a WYSIWYG web editor (no HTML coding
necessary -- or allowed, for that matter), tons of templates
(including a Frames Wizard) to assist you in developing complex
pages quickly, tools for implementing advanced features like tables
and forms, client side image mapping, easy image insertion
capabilities, and WebBots.
WebBots, by far the hottest feature included with FrontPage, are
flexible, precoded CGI scripts that you can simply drop into your
web page. Survey forms, web searches, image maps, scheduled text
and image insertion, tables of content, and timestamps are examples
of WebBots that can be integrated into your web page as easily as
inserting a graphic. However, in order for users to be able to make
use of the WebBots on your pages, your web server will need to be
configured with Microsoft server extensions. FrontPage has built-in
server extension support for its own personal web server as well as
for O'Reilly's WebSite (Windows 95 and NT) and Netscape
Communications/Commerce Servers (Windows NT only). A list of
server extensions for additional servers can be found at the
Microsoft FrontPage web site.
In addition to the editor itself, FrontPage includes three additional
powerful tools: a web explorer, a "To Do" project manager, and a
32-bit web server. The web explorer visually portrays your web site
with hierarchical and graphical representations, helping web
designers build and maintain complex web sites. In addition, the
explorer shows both the internal and external links for each page
which can assist you in quickly finding broken links. The "To Do"
project manager helps workgroups work together in planning the
development and maintenance of a web site over an extended
period of time. This feature and the web explorer make FrontPage
especially attractive for web sites constructed by more than one
person. The 32-bit web server allows you to host the web pages
you create with the editor and to serve them to the world on the
Internet or to your company through its own private intranet. The
server is pre-configured with FrontPage server extensions, allowing
you to take full advantage of the FrontPage editor, including the
ultra-powerful WebBots.
There are several features missing in FrontPage that would make it
more competitive with some of the top editors available on the web
today. First, there are no tools available for implementing some of
the cooler features of the latest web browsers like background
sounds, inline videos, plug-in effects, Java applets, ActiveX
Controls, marquees, and more. Second, there is no way to modify
the actual HTML coding of a web page whatsoever, making the
above point even more disadvantageous. Third, FrontPage lacks
previewing capabilities to give you an accurate view of how your
web pages will look in your favorite web browser (the inline
WYSIWYG editor is helpful but not very accurate). FrontPage may
well be the most advanced commercial web editor to be sold in
stores like CompUSA and Egghead Software, but there are better
apps available on the 'net, many of which are less expensive as well.
HotDog Pro, WebEdit, and The Web Media Publisher all have
more editing features and are generally easier to use than
FrontPage. Still, no other app offers the powerful combination of
web explorer, editor, project manager, and server like FrontPage
does.
Pros: Powerful web server/editor/project manager combo, tons of
cool features like WebBots
Cons: Lacks web previewing, actual HTML coding capabilities, and
other advanced features
New: This is the initial review for FrontPage
Version Reviewed: 1.1 Official Release
Date of Review: 7/19/96
Reviewer: Forrest Stroud
~Gordon
Tue, Aug 13, 1996 (08:03)
#1
I downloaded the 4 separate files and combined them into a temp directory
but when I try to install I get the following message:
Error: In function FPSd Setup type Unable to create dialog Make sure
_is res.dll is in _setup.lib - When you click on the required OK button to
get out you get another message: Severe - Not a possible choice - Setup type
Can anyone explain what I am missing and where I need to obtain the correct _
_setup.lib file - I thought that each program came with it's own setup files?
but I doesn't sound like it from that message?
~Tom
Fri, Oct 25, 1996 (14:27)
#2
Gordon,
I downloaded the whole enchalada as one file and had no problems installing it.
However, I think there is a problem with the install program anyway since it won't install the Search engine. When I've tried doing it manually, it says it can't find it.
Anyway, while the pages FP creates are cool, it's about the most user-unfriendly program I've seen for quite some time. I'm getting rid of it and going back to GNNPress.
Call me Dis-Gruntled !