# Webpage Construction Software??????



## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Hello,

Does anyone have any suggestions on a Webpage Construction Software that is good. I know nothing about WEBPAGE CREATION Software. (A Drag and Drop, Windows based program would be what I am interested in.) I have searched in Google and not found much.

I found 
http://www.homestead.com

and started a trial download of their program .....but uninstalled it because it kept freezing my system. (from the very minute it finished installation.) The program didn't look all that great anyhow.... So, then I snooped around a little on the Microsoft site......I am thinking about the Microsoft Front Page 2002.

Any suggestions or input from someone who has MS Front Page 2002 or has experienced a nice (stable) program for Designing a Webpage? 
Thanks 
BS


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## Merry_Meet (Jun 4, 2003)

I would ask that this post be moved to the Development forum so that you get a better/broader response. (just click Report and ask the Moderator to move it for you)

I use Front Page 2000. I am very new at this and have been having a lot of fun and success with it. I think it is great for newbies. The menu options are all very similar to other MS products so it makes it easy to get used to it! I have found lots of hidden tips and tricks in this site (under Development) and many others on the net. I took me only one week to feel I knew it edn-to-end.


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Thank you very much Merry_Meet!

You comments have been a help! I will ask that this be moved to the Development (I had a hard time choosing which forum to go with.... didn't know which it should be under...) Thanks!


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## Rutter (Dec 17, 2001)

Hey Backspace,
What are you looking for a free piece of software, a piece to just play around and learn with or are u willing to pay some money?

There are number of different options you can chose.

For free -
1. There is a programme free with Internet explorer called Frontpage Editor, its what i did my first page with and it not that hard.

2. There are other programme try www.download.com for more ideas.

If you have a bit of money to spare you might want to try either Macromedia Dreamwever or Frontpage (Contained within Microsoft Office), both have thier own merits, but for beginners I would chose Frontpage. Dreamweaver is a programme use professionally by many people. Its down to taste(you can find a trail version on some magazine covers or on the web)

Let me know how you get on and have fun!

Rutter


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Hi Rutter!

Well, we all want FREE don't we.... but since most times you get what you pay for..... I guess I will have to fork out some $$$$.

I hear MS Front Page is comoing out with 2003... maybe I should wait. 

Thank you


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## EmXtrix (Jun 16, 2003)

I'll be previewing Frontpage 2003 beta on my website sometime within the next few weeks, but I personally stick with and will always love Dreamweaver MX. A bit expensive though... If you're a newbie at web design maybe you should go for Netscape or something (I think it comes with a built in HTML editor, doesn't it?)


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Kinda pro Microsoft and try to stay away form the competitor as much as possible... so sounds like I should look into MS Front Page 2003.


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## GillIT (Jul 17, 2003)

Frontpage is very user friendly to those already familiar with MS products. I would definately recommend Frontpage to those who are interested in creating a web in a short period of time.

But for complex stuff, I would definately recommend some version of notepad. An extremely fancy type of that is VS .NET, that has some extremely powerful stuff. Although, I still prefer the simpler notepad, metapad, textpad, etc. They keep up with new technologies faster.


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## Davey7549 (Feb 28, 2001)

Backspace
No matter what program you get in webpage design it will take a bit getting used to! HTML is all code and is Java but if you are looking for a (WYSIWYG) "What you see is what you get" apps then out of all the apps I believe Front Page would be the best fit. 
I say this not because it is overall the easiest to master the quirks but it is the most documented via tutorials!

Dave


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## Gary R (Aug 9, 2001)

Isn't Microsoft Frontpage supposed to be included with Office 2000 (or with Word2000)?
Looked around using "Find" & found nothine regarding FrontPage. Sp am I correct in thinking Frontpage is a program I'd have to buy?

I've heard people say webpages could be made with Notepad, but.....


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## Davey7549 (Feb 28, 2001)

Gary
I believe frontpage is part of Office 2000 and yes you can create webpages using notepad if you wish! If you wish to learn prue HTML and enter each line charature by charature then learning HTML is for you but many do not wish to do so. SO........ WYSIWYG apps help them through the process.

Dave


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Hey there Davey,

For sure I am more your point and click kind of "programmer"... HTML seems so slow. Hey what does WYSIWYG stand for?

BTW...Did you remember my avatar instructions? Hmmmm? 

Thanks to all.
BS


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## Davey7549 (Feb 28, 2001)

BackSpace
No I have not forgotten but my day job has about wore me!

WYSIWYG is "What you see is what you get". Kind of a way of saying an easy app to use!

Dave


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## Corrosive (Jan 9, 2003)

Frontpage is one of the worst programs I have used. Yes it's user friendly an all, but the code that it spouts out can be really annoying for everyone involved. Dreamweaver is a good bet, but an expensive one. 

I use HTML Pad 2000. It is a coder-orientated program, but it really does help you learn HTML. If you know a bit of HTML, the program will help you do more advanced things. For instance, to make any text bold, all you do is highlight the appropriate text and click on the MS Word-style "Bold" button (you know the one) and it will put the code around it. It also has a real time preview, so you can easily see what you're changes to the code does.


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## Corrosive (Jan 9, 2003)

And Gary R, if you have Windows 95/98 (Not ME/XP/NT, alas) you can install Frontpage Express from the Windows CD.


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## Merry_Meet (Jun 4, 2003)

Hi Corrosive
Can you give me an example of the annoying code that it spits out?
You see, I do have access to DreamWeaver but find that I am much more comfortable with FrontPage and suggest it quite often! 
I keep hearing that it spits out poopy stuff, but have no idea what anyone is talking about. 
After I create my page(s), I go to the HTML tab to see what I have done, and learn to edit in there. I haven't seen anything yet that has confused me.

The only issue I have ever personally had with FrontPage is a minor one. I must ensure that I 'publish' instead of ftp transfer if I am using forms & such, but after they are 'published' once, the ftp is acceptable.

So would you mind showing me the cumbersome part? It would greatly help me understand what quite a few have described as messy.

thanks!
MM

backspace, if you are concerned about cost etc. we have FrontPage98 & 2000 and there is not a great difference. Just a few interface changes and a couple of toys, but nothing to really matter to the non-professional web builder IMHO


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## siegbrunn (Jul 24, 2003)

I tried Front page about a year ago and didn't get too far. For the last year I've been using Fusion (Ver 5) and am doing OK. I find it pretty easy, which is coming from someone who had absolutely no idea what to do to make a website. In the meantime I've built a website for our theater association with 39 pages as well as a smaller personal one with heavy pop-up photo usage.
If you want to look the theater group is www.f-m-oberlahn.de
and the personal is www.kipsykat.de

I'm sure that Front Page is more advanced generally in what it can do, but I found Fusion much much more intuitive.

Karen


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## Corrosive (Jan 9, 2003)

Merry_Meet, I don't really know if it's been fixed, but things like tables would be okay for broswers using IE, but other browsers (with different demands) would display it incorrectly. This is why I recommend HTML hard-coding, as you can easily sort things out but with Frontpage, someone who doesn't know HTML will be left scratching their heads as to why it works in IE but not in Netscape.


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Hello again everyone.. I had to be away from my computer for a couple days...... and am just now catching up on the comments made...

Yes, I have read on the Microsoft Site itself and seem to gather that they were aware of the buggy things and I get the idea that a patch here and there has been aimed at remedy-ing the "messy" stuff. I also realize that the other browsers do not always accept .... Hmmmm... how would I word this........?..... well, lots of stuff TO and FROM the different browser programs, is not accepted or comes through IE/AOL....like it's supposed to.

As in ......an AOL user to a IE user and vice versa... I am not so much aware of the Netscape deal but am VERY sure that some photos and emails and such to not get through. I have friends who are AOL users and swear by it 100% but I DO KNOW FOR FACT that people who have AOL never receive some of their emails...and if they DO.... the photos will not display... Therefore I would make a guess that the displayment of a webpage made in Frontpage 200x might very well not come through for a Netscape or AOL user...... and if it does.... then might have the Messy stuff as you have mentioned. When browsing on my friend's computer that uses AOL........... I find that she get's the response of "Page cannot be displayed" VERY often. I do not find that to be true for myself as a strict IE 6.0 user. (no butterflies on this computer)

AOL / Netscape and Microsoft are in conflict in lots of ways and I feel like this is just ONE way that the programs don't jive with each other. Maybe it is not so much the Program itself but the transmitting of the final product via the different ISP providers and/or the Servers themselves (AOL or Netscape, etc.)

I guess I will have lots of comments back on this OPINION of mine.... and I would be really interested to know what other folks think about this... the moderators might want it to be in a different Thread however.... but maybe we can keep it contained to the Webpage Creation Program subject for now.......

Glad to get all this feedback on the FrontPage however.... I emailed Microsoft about getting a 2003 Beta version Trial to give it a try. Beta versions are limited..... and were released for trial few months ago, so I may be too late to get one..... I don't think the real program will actually be released until they get feedback from their Trial users... the Frontpage 2003 Beta Trial was packaged in with The Microsoft Office System Beta 2 Kit 2003. And I know they have already provided a download for fixes on the Betas.... addressing some issues found by the Trial users.

BTW...{B]EmXtrix[/B], have you received your kit yet? If you have, maybe you can shed some light on the subject for us.
Thanks to all.
BS


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## EmXtrix (Jun 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Backspace:_
> *BTW...{B]EmXtrix*, have you received your kit yet? If you have, maybe you can shed some light on the subject for us.
> Thanks to all.
> BS
> [/B]


Sorry, haven't been keeping up. I have the software and permission from Microsoft to write about it... but in all honesty I've been avoiding installing Frontpage 

I have to write an article about Outlook 2003 first and then I'll get right onto Frontpage, though. Sorry to make you wait


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

_posted by EMXTRIX_



> Sorry, haven't been keeping up. I have the software and permission from Microsoft to write about it... but in all honesty I've been avoiding installing Frontpage


Oh, no problem, I talked to a friend of mine who has Geocities (Yahoo) free website.... well... I dowloaded the software to just goof around with it for some practical knowledge.... .... but the program is very feeble.. I also came across a Basic Tutorial for HTML... and the arguement for creating a webpage in HTML is VERY valid. I can see that .... then you don't have to depend on some feeble wizard to make a 1/2 $#@ page for you that can't be located. (probably my stupidity with wizards..... but anyway.}

:up: Thumbs up to all you guys who are HTML gurus.... I'm JEALOUS!!!
 ........


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## EmXtrix (Jun 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Backspace:_
> :up: Thumbs up to all you guys who are HTML gurus.... I'm JEALOUS!!!


No need. You can be a guru too if you really want to. All it takes is patience, grasshopa.


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## EmXtrix (Jun 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Backspace:_
> :up: Thumbs up to all you guys who are HTML gurus.... I'm JEALOUS!!!


No need. You can be a guru too if you really want to. All it takes is patience, grasshopa.


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Thanks EMXTRIX!

BTW I ordered the MS Office 2003 Beta Kit... with the Frontpage 2003 ... will be here in a couple of days.  


TBC .........


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## Backspace (May 23, 2003)

Frontpage 2003 BETA is Here... will install and get back to you.


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## joe2cool (Feb 7, 2002)

Looking at web design so some interesting info guys !


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## pcspaul2003 (Aug 18, 2003)

i have frontpage 2002 its hot & easy 2 use it has dhtml animations and a html editor too so u can add html i think its the best


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## vici (Jun 26, 2004)

use web page maker..its the simplest drag and drop software


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