I upgraded from FrontPage 2000 to FrontPage 2003 and WHOA it's different

I upgraded from FrontPage 2000 to FrontPage 2003 and WHOA it's different!!!

I've been using FrontPage since the free 'Express' version back in the 90s. I can't remember all of the versions but I know I've used them all. With all the "issues" relating to Microsoft FrontPage such as overwriting source code to the buggy web-bots and server extensions, I've always liked FrontPage over the rest.

As a web developer, I've evaluated most of the modern web development programs with the exception of MAC software and for some reason I come running home to papa when it's time to get work done. Now this tool is amazing and the 'IntelliSense' feature is great.

According to FrontPage help:

About IntelliSense

IntelliSense refers to the Code view functionality that provides auto-completion of commands, as well as context-sensitive lists that contain code and scripting elements.

For example, when you type the HTML delimiter <, you can have IntelliSense automatically display a list of tags.

With IntelliSense, you can edit scripts in a number of languages, including ECMAScript as defined by the specification of the European Computer Manufacturers Association, such as JScript or JavaScript, and Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript). You can quickly fill in valid variables, functions, or parameter information. IntelliSense also provides context-sensitive lists for HTML tags and attributes.

There are all kinds of new features for accessibility, validation and even text replacement rules. On the surface it appears to have a regular expressions search and replace feature as well. It would take me hours to review and report all of the new gadgets in this version of FrontPage but let me just say I'm happy with the upgrade.

Story about me and FrontPage.

I have a major client who has several hundred employees and a large IT department. They are a Microsoft Office organization in that everyone has Office installed on their desk top computers and receive comprehensive training on how to use it. This organization asked me to develop a website in 1999 that would allow existing staff to have access to the website to make changes, add pages and work with me in creating and editing content.

Back in 1999, FrontPage was very buggy but I developed a website that would avoid the FrontPage Server Extensions as much as possible but allow authorized editorial access to the website using FrontPage. My decision was based on the fact that the staff already knew how Office worked and FrontPage is a member of the Office family.

It was a large site built by a number of people, using a number of website creation tools. The site was static HTML files with few shared elements. Okay, only one shared element was found inside one folder and it was in the body tag sharing style. The site then was 1800 pages and had to be completely redesigned. I may write about that process someday.

Another element of the site was they wanted different editors to have access to different areas of the site. FrontPage subwebs was the solution to this situation as well. Now remember... this is 1999.

I built the core site using ASP on a MS IIS server and trained the staff how to edit the pages leaving my include at the top and function at the bottom. Everything else was normal MS Office as far as they knew and I had to accomplish minimal training on HTML most specifically on relational links. Teaching them how to edit the source so their images and links related to the root instead of the file, folder or domain was important for portability and because we had several domain names on that site.

Then Microsoft introduced Visual Interdev and I spent some time learning and converting the new website to use that tool. What I could not do in Interdev was manage my subwebs or their users. I had to "run home to papa" to manage that aspect of the site. This advice came directly from Microsoft engineers so it had to be right.

Did I mention this was 1999? (grin) My current development of the site includes a content management system (CMS) that would allow me to use a SQL database to manage users and access to the pages and offer my editors an easy forms based interface that would simply cut and paste from Word to the form and handle all the validation, link reference, image upload and compression automatically. But, due to their failing budget, I'm not likely to implement that scheme... for them.

Since then, the tools available has evolved to a point where I thought FrontPage was on her way out. Then I upgraded to 2003 and I'm in love. I think it's a great improvement. I use a number of supporting tools in my development to accomplish a number of tasks, FrontPage 2003 has some exciting features that may allow me to eliminate some of those and make my job easier.

That said, I won't be doing a complete evaluation nor accomplishing the tutorials because of the impending upgrade to ASP.NET 2.0 and the new tools available for that development. Since I am in the process of becoming a Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist, and a subsciber to the Action Pack from Microsoft, I'm able to install and evaluate a number of new and powerful software. If FrontPage 2003 is any indication of the tools available, I'm excited about learning about and using the new more advanced tools.

Even still, if you have basic web publishing needs with a few advanced desires, and are familiar with Microsoft Office, then FrontPage is the way to go. I know I'll be using it for a long time to come.

Call me crazy, and I'm only guessing here, but I think this may be the last version of FrontPage. If I'm right, Microsoft® Expression® Web Designer will be the replacement. I haven't tried it yet but my fellow developers are reporting that it's pretty slick.

Microsoft® Expression® Web Designer info

Oh... hold the presses... I was right!

What happened to FrontPage?

After nine years of being an award-winning Web authoring tool, FrontPage will be discontinued in late 2006. We will continue to serve the diverse needs of our existing FrontPage customers with the introduction of these three brand-new application building and Web authoring tools using the latest technologies, Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Designer 2007 for the enterprise information workers, Microsoft® Expression™ Web Designer for the professional Web designer and Microsoft® Visual Studio 2005 for the Web developer.

What are these new tools?

The Microsoft® Office and Server & Tools teams are proud to announce the introduction of two great new tools for application building and Web authoring in 2006:

1. Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Designer 2007: Automate your business processes and build efficient applications on top of the SharePoint platform, and tailor your SharePoint® site to your needs in an IT-managed environment.
2. Microsoft® Expression™ Web Designer: Take advantage of the best of dynamic Web site design, enabling you to design, develop, and maintain exceptional standards-based Web sites.

These two new products will join the recently launched Microsoft® Visual Studio 2005, the next-generation tool for developers, to deliver a complete set of instruments for application building and Web authoring.

When will they be available to the public?

Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Designer 2007 and Microsoft® Expression™ Web Designer are partially based on FrontPage technologies and will be launched in the second half of 2006. Microsoft® Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition were successfully launched in 2005.

Source : http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA101205221033.aspx

 

Okay, so that make this post kind of redundant but who cares... I still like it.