History
FrontPage was initially created by the Cambridge, Massachusetts company Vermeer Technologies Incorporated, evidence of which can be easily spotted in filenames and directories prefixed _vti_ in web sites created using FrontPage. Vermeer was acquired by Microsoft in 1996 specifically so that Microsoft could add FrontPage to its product line-up.[1]
As a WYSIWYG editor, FrontPage is designed to hide the details of pages' HTML code from the user, making it possible for novices to easily create web pages and sites.
FrontPage's initial outing under the Microsoft name came in 1996 with the release of Windows NT 4.0 Server and its constituent HTTPd server Internet Information Services 2.0. Bundled on CD with the NT 4.0 Server release, FrontPage 1.1 would run under NT 4.0 (Server or Workstation) or Windows 95, and was aimed at providing server administrators with a tool to deliver rich web and intranet content in a package as easy to use as Microsoft Word.
FrontPage used to require a set of server-side plugins originally known as IIS Extensions. The extension set was significantly enhanced for Microsoft inclusion of FrontPage into the Microsoft Office line-up with the 97 release and subsequently renamed FrontPage Server Extensions (FPSE). Both sets of extensions needed to be installed on the target web server for its content and publishing features to work. Microsoft offered both Windows and Unix-based versions of FPSE. However, newer versions of FrontPage also support the standard WebDAV protocol for remote web publishing and authoring.[2]
A version for Mac OS was released in 1998; however, it had fewer features than the Windows product and Microsoft has not updated it since.[3]
In 2006, Microsoft announced that FrontPage would eventually be superseded by two products.[1] Microsoft SharePoint Designer will allow business professionals to design SharePoint-based applications. Microsoft Expression Web is targeted for web design professionals who create full-blown web sites. Both are partially based on FrontPage.[citation needed] Microsoft announced that they will be discontinuing Microsoft FrontPage by December 2006.
Features
Some features that are part of the last version of FrontPage include:
- Help navigating through your site, and seeing your file structure, visually
- Built-in features for HTML, CSS, and Java / JavaScript (partial)
- Built in image editor (MS Image Composer)
- Point-and-click functionality for common tools, like mouseovers, e-mail forms, and hit counts
- Simple to use with previous knowledge of Office products
- Integrated data display with Office products like Access and Excel
- Support for CSS-based themes (like ASP.NET master pages)
- When you change the URL of a page, all the links to that page are dynamically changed
- Task-assignment for team projects
- Content is editable from anywhere with FrontPage (password is needed)
- Support for rich clipboard data import (i.e. copy/pasting data from Internet Explorer into FrontPage 2003 will automatically download media resources such as images and save them locally)
Criticism
Some criticism of FrontPage includes:
- Non-standard HTML code generated by the WYSIWYG mode; however, version 2003 is capable of generating XHTML
- FrontPage is not ideal for managing a medium to large corporate website (Microsoft Visual Studio and Visual Web Developer Express Edition are better suited.)[citation needed]
- The user interface buries HTML properties in drop down menus and wizards
- Java mouseover button effects (known as fphover.class) have a high probability of crashing a web browser.[citation needed]
