FP97: New Features in FrontPage 97 with Bonus Pack

• Microsoft FrontPage 97 for Windows with Bonus Pack

SUMMARY

The "More Information" section of this article includes a comprehensive list of the new and improved features and functionality that you will find in FrontPage 97 with Bonus Pack. With the enhancements to the core FrontPage product and the addition of the Bonus Pack, FrontPage is the Web suite that gives you all the tools you need for creating and managing professional quality Web sites.

MORE INFORMATION

Ability to Display, Verify and Correct Office 97 Hyperlinks

Through the FrontPage 97 server extensions, FrontPage 97 Explorer can manage hyperlinks into and out of Office 97 documents.

Support for JavaScript/VBScript

You can directly enter script in FrontPage Editor. The script will run when the file is posted on a Web server and browsed with a browser that supports the scripting language.

Support for ActiveX Controls

FrontPage Editor can insert, format, and affect the properties of any ActiveX Control. Through the new scripting interface you can even insert VBScript or JavaScript routines that work with the control.

Support for Java Applets

FrontPage Editor can insert, format, and affect the properties of any Java Applet. Through the new scripting interface you can even insert VBScript or JavaScript routines that work with the applet.

Support for Netscape Plug-ins

Netscape plug-ins can be inserted into the FrontPage Editor and you can define their size and layout.

Cross-web Spelling Checker

FrontPage uses the same Spelling checker engine as Office (instead of a duplicate copy of it as in FrontPage 1.1). FrontPage 97 also uses the same custom dictionary as Office 97 (or the first dictionary if there are multiple dictionaries).

Text/Spreadsheet Converters

FrontPage 97 uses the same converters as Microsoft Office 97. FrontPage 97 can convert any of the following file formats to HTML:

   Microsoft Excel Worksheet (.xls, .xlw)
   WordPerfect 6.x (.wps, .doc)
   Lotus 1-2-3 (.wk1, .wk3, .wk4)
   Word 6.0/7.0 for Windows & Macintosh (.doc)
   Word 97 (.doc)
   Word (Asian versions) 6.0/95 (.doc)
   Word 4.0-5.1 for Macintosh (.mcw)
   Word 2.x for Windows (.doc)
   Works 3.0 for Windows (.wos)
   Works 4.0 for Windows (.wps)
   WordPerfect 5.x (.doc)
   Recover Text from Any File (*)

Thesaurus

FrontPage installs the same thesaurus as Office 97. If you have already installed Office 97, FrontPage will use the installed copy.

Ability to Edit Raw HTML Source Code

The View HTML command in FrontPage Editor allows you to directly edit the source HTML.

Preview in Browser

You can directly preview your page in any installed browser at any of four screen resolutions.

Cross-web Find and Replace

In FrontPage Explorer, the Find and Replace commands will check all content in the web.

Support for the Creation of Sub Folders within the Web Content Area

The folder view in FrontPage Explorer works the way the Windows 95 or NT 4.0 Explorer does. It allows you to organize your files. It also allows you to create subfolders within subfolders.

Drag-and-drop Functionality

The FrontPage Explorer and Editor support drag-and-drop functionality. You can drag files into FrontPage Explorer for auto-import. You can drag files from one location in the web to a sub-folder to quickly rearrange the files in the web and the FrontPage Explorer will automatically correct all the hyperlinks into and out of the document. You can also drag images, text documents, Microsoft Excel Ranges, and Hyperlinks into FrontPage Editor to insert new elements. You can also drag existing elements from one part of a page to another or from page to page within FrontPage Editor.

Import Web Wizard

Assists in converting entire folders to FrontPage format within a web server.

Easy Hyperlinks to Current Page Through Use of Browsers

New World Wide Web hyperlinks will default to the URL currently displayed in your default Internet browser.

Typed URLs Automatically Become Hyperlinks

If you type a full URL, FrontPage will automatically make it a hyperlink.

Color-coded HTML source code

When you view the HTML source code in FrontPage Editor, you have the option to view the HTML tags, names, values, and content in different colors.

Improved and Expanded Toolbars in FrontPage Editor

FrontPage adds the Advanced toolbar and arranges all toolbars in an easier and more intuitive way.

Database Connection Wizard

This new wizard will create Internet Database Connector (IDC) files for you. All you need to enter is the ODBC data source, the table structure of the data source, and the SQL statement.

Ability to Resize Images in FrontPage Editor

You can drag the edge of an image to stretch, compress, expand, or shrink it while preserving its aspect ratio. In addition, you can specify a set pixel width or percentage of screen width for both height and width on an image.

Web Administrators Can Mark a Folder as Executable

Administrators can mark a folder as executable (as long as the webmaster hasn't explicitly denied this right).

Marquee Tag

Support for the Marquee tag is available in the FrontPage Editor.

"Getting Started with Microsoft FrontPage" Dialog Box

This dialog box gives you a choice of actions to take when you first start Explorer or whenever a web is closed.

Watermark

Allows you to specify a non-scrolling background image on a page.

FrontPage Explorer Screen Improvements

(Screen Tips, Highlighted Links)

Visual hints everywhere regarding the item your mouse is pointing at.

Background Sounds

Built-in support for the BGSOUND tag. Note that Netscape Navigator 3.0 and earlier do not support the BGSOUND tag.

Extensible HTML and Custom WebBot Components

Using the FrontPage 97 Software Development Kit (SDK) on the FrontPage 97 with Bonus Pack CD, and a development environment (like Visual C++ or Visual Basic), you can create your own custom WebBot components and specify how they appear in the FrontPage Editor.

Insert Video (AVI)

Built-in support for the DYNSRC attribute of the IMG tag. Allows you to insert a video into an HTML page. Note that Netscape Navigator 3.0 and earlier do not support the DYNSRC attribute of the IMG tag.

Fully Customizable Menus

The FrontPage 97 Software Development Kit (SDK) on the FrontPage 97 with Bonus Pack CD includes instructions for inserting custom menu items.

Page Margins

The FrontPage Editor supports the topmargin and leftmargin attributes of the BODY tag.

Horizontal Rule Colors

You can specify the color of the horizontal rules you insert with FrontPage Editor.

Form Field Validation

FrontPage can perform simple validation on the data entered in FrontPage form fields. The validation is written in JavaScript or VBScript (your choice) and can check for things like the presence or absence of data, the length of data, and the type of data.

Bullet and Numbering Styles

FrontPage Editor supports ten different styles of bullets or numbering.

Dataless Bookmarks

Improved Internet Information Server (IIS) support

Support for NT Challenge/Response Authentication:

The FrontPage Client and Server Extensions for IIS can validate FrontPage authors and Administrators using the NT Challenge/Response (NTLM) authentication scheme. This means that when you run FrontPage on an NT domain, access to the IIS (as well as to the Microsoft Personal Web Server and NT 4.0 Peer Web Services) will be granted based on the user's NT Logon account. In this configuration it is no longer necessary to re-enter a separate username and password to access the IIS server; logging on to the network is sufficient to identify yourself to the server.

Automatic Correction of NTFS Permissions Problems:

On Internet Information Servers hosted on NTFS partitions, FrontPage Setup will automatically correct permissions problems on all files necessary for the smooth operation of the FrontPage Server extensions. The Check Installation feature of the FrontPage Server Administrator was enhanced to correct permissions problems automatically.

Default permissions on files and directories were enhanced to ensure that executable directories are inaccessible to non-privileged user accounts.

Other Enhanced IIS Features:

Other Enhanced IIS Features include

• New user interface for adding users and groups.
• Support for Secure Sockets layer (SSL)
• Extensions install as ISAPI DLLs on IIS 2.0, leading to significant performance enhancement.
• FrontPage Administrators no longer need to be NT Administrators.

More Server Extensions for UNIX

Server Extensions for UNIX are supported for the following operating systems:

   BSD/OS 2.1
   Digital UNIX 3.2c, 4.0 (Alpha)
   IRIX 5.3, 6.2
   Linux 3.0.3 (from Red Hat software)
   Solaris 2.4, 2.5
   SunOS 4.1.3, 4.1.4
   HP-UX 9.03, 10.01

   Apache 1.0.5, 1.1.1
   CERN 3.0 NCSA 1.5a, 1.5.2 (we do not support 1.5.1)
   Netscape Commerce Server 1.12
   Netscape Communications Server 1.12
   Netscape Enterprise 2.0
   Netscape FastTrack 2.0

Ability to Create Disk-based Webs

You can use FrontPage to manage files directly on your hard disk without the need for a Web server or server extensions. The browse- time WebBot components will not function, but all of the save-time WebBot components will work fine.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q160227
   TITLE     : FP97: Some WebBot Components Don't Work on Disk-Based
               Web

Script Wizard (Similar to HTML Control Pad)

The Script Wizard can help you understand the methods and events associated with the browser and any ActiveX or scriptable Java applets on your page. You can choose between writing VBScript or JavaScript with the Script Wizard. NOTE: The Script Wizard is installed by Microsoft Internet Explorer. It will not be available if Internet Explorer is not installed on your computer.

Hit Counter WebBot Component

The Hit Counter WebBot component is included with the FrontPage Software Development Kit (SDK) as an example of how you can create your own custom WebBot components. It is a fully functional WebBot component that can be installed even by non-programmers. Read the files in the /frontpg/fpsdk20/WebBot/fpcount directory of the FrontPage 97 with Bonus Pack CD for details. Microsoft Technical Support does not support this software. If you have trouble installing or configuring the Hit Counter WebBot, you should refer to the FrontPage Software Development Kit or contact a Microsoft Solution Provider. To locate a Microsoft Solution Provider in your area in the U.S. and Canada, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. If you are outside the United States, contact your local subsidiary. To locate your subsidiary, see the Microsoft World Wide Offices Web site at:

   http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/default.htm

Microsoft Image Composer

Microsoft Image Composer is the easy way to arrange, customize, and create your on-screen images. Use it to make your Web sites come alive with professional-looking images. Microsoft Image Composer features the use of innovative technology that frees you from the traditional way of arranging images and allows you to:

• Produce professional-looking results easily
• Customize your images the way you want
• Quickly make your images ready for the Web

   http://www.microsoft.com/imagecomposer/

Microsoft Personal Web Server

The Microsoft Personal Web Server includes a Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) and a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. Microsoft Personal Web Server is fully integrated into the Windows 95 taskbar and Control Panel, allowing users to start and stop HTTP and FTP services, administer the server, or change general options. Microsoft Personal Web Server includes an HTML-based administration utility that also supports full remote administration. It supports both user-level and local security. Users can set up the Microsoft Personal Web Server to support Windows NT Challenge/Response (NTLM) encrypted-password transmission. The Microsoft Personal Web Server's support for NTLM allows remote FrontPage authors and administrators to be validated by their network logon username and password within the context of a Windows NT network, bypassing the need to re-enter this information when authoring. The Microsoft Personal Web Server disables security when authoring locally so you will not be prompted for your name and password as long as you are running FrontPage from the same computer where the Microsoft Personal Web Server is installed. Microsoft Personal Web Server fully supports existing standards such as CGI and includes the open Internet Server API (ISAPI) extension to the Win32 API that is up to five times faster than CGI-based applications.

Microsoft Personal Web Server also supports simple database access through the Internet Database Connector (IDC).

For more information, see the Internet Explorer area of the Microsoft Web site at:

   http://www.microsoft.com/IESupport/content/mspws/.

Support for Microsoft Visual Source Safe

Using Microsoft Visual SourceSafe 5.0 you can put your FrontPage web under source control. FrontPage Explorer becomes the front end for managing check- in and check-out of files amongst a set of authorized users you define. SourceSafe provides a feature-rich back end for performing version control functions.

Table Creation Similar to Microsoft Word

You can click on the Insert Table toolbar button and drag the mouse over a sample grid to specify the rows and columns needed in a new table.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0

Included on the FrontPage 97 with Bonus Pack CD.

Microsoft Web Publishing Wizard

The FrontPage 97 with Bonus Pack CD includes Microsoft Web Publishing Wizard version 1.1. This utility allows for publishing any content to any server running:

   The FrontPage Server Extensions
   A Windows File Share mapped into an HTTP server
   An FTP share mapped into an HTTP server

For more information, see the Microsoft Windows Web site at:

   http://www.microsoft.com/windows/software/webpost/ .

Support for Secure Sockets Layer

FrontPage can author and administer webs directly on the secure port, allowing for complete encryption of all data and safety from intruders or hackers.

Spanning WebBot Components

In FrontPage 1.1, you must use the FrontPage Explorer in conjunction with the FrontPage Editor to edit any page that contained dynamic content. This is due to a file architecture requiring two files for every page with dynamic WebBot components.

FrontPage 97 introduces a simpler architecture, which includes all the arguments for the dynamic WebBot components in the same file as the one the browser uses.

Versions available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese

FrontPage offers a single worldwide compact disc for the best worldwide web authoring product.

Other New Features in FrontPage 97

FrontPage 97 also includes the following features:

• Support for PowerPoint Animations
• Support for Table and Cell background colors, background images, and border colors
• Support for True Type Fonts
• Enhanced documentation (200+ page user guide and improved Help)