  Hosting Article written by Robert BeckEditorNetwork- and Server Administration since 2003. Specialist in Linux, SunOS, Windows. Any Questions? Drop me an email.Latest update of this content was: Thursday, Apr 28, 2011 |
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 FrontPage Hosting: An introduction
Hosting with FrontPage Extensions
FrontPage hosting is requested so frequently due to the success of Microsoft's web site creation software "FrontPage".
What is MS FrontPage?
Microsoft FrontPage (full name Microsoft Office FrontPage) is a HTML editor that works on the WYSIWYG basis (What You See Is What You Get), wich means it is a graphical program to design web pages. The software appeared first in 1997 and has since been replaced by Sharepoint Designer (2006) and Microsoft Expression Web (2010). Since all these softwares are Microsoft products, they all run on the Windows Platform.
FrontPage is a program, that enables users to build interactive web pages, who do not know how to program in scripting languages like PHP. Thus, FrontPage is aimed at unexperienced users, that want to build their own web sites nevertheless. The FrontPage Version that came on the market in 2003 allows for scripting in ASP language (Active Server Pages) though, so intermediately experienced users can write some dynamic features that go beyond the standard features of FrontPage Extensions, if needed.
What are FrontPage Extensions?
FrontPage Extensions are standard files that are installed at the server. These files contain scripts for interactive features, that FrontPage users can integrate in their web sites without programing skills. It vital to understand that interactive elements like a counter or forms contained in a FrontPage-created web page, will not WORK AT ALL without these FrontPage Extensions installed on the server. So this is a feature, that FrontPage hosting providers must offer. Only if they do so, then their service can be called FrontPage hosting.
Wich web servers provide MS FrontPage extensions?
FrontPage Extensions are available for Linux and for Windows servers. If ASP scripting should be performed as well, then a Windows hosting provider would be the better choice, since ASP pages run only on Windows servers. If you want to use scripting in ASP additionally to the standard features of the FrontPage Extensions, please read our article ASP Hosting explained.
It is very important to understand, that you as a client of a shared
hosting provider CAN NOT install FrontPage Extensions to your account.
Please make sure FrontPage Extensions are already part of the hosting
package, before you sign up. We have compiled a list of the Top 10 Frontpage Hosting Providers for our readers. All of these providers' hosting plans contain FrontPage Extensions and support web sites created with MS FrontPage properly.
Wich interactive functions are supported by proper FrontPage hosting providers?
The following features can be used by web sites created with FrontPage without programing skills. However, please understand, that only with a FrontPage hosting provider that has FrontPage Extensions installed on your server, these features will function properly.
Forms:
The user can build a form on a web page. The fields of the form can be graphically created in FrontPage and their properties set to the user's needs. When the form is submitted, the FrontPage Extensions installed on the server receive the data of the single form fields. They can send it to an email address, write it in a text file or write it to a database then.
Search Box:
With this feature a side-wide fulltext search can be performed. The web site creator does not need to understand the functions behind it. All interactivity and the search result output is handled by the FrontPage Extensions.
Discussion Forum:
Functionality that enables web site visitors to comment on web pages without the need of programing anything.
Hit Counter:
This component can track the number of visitors that open cetrain pages of a web site created with FrontPage. It can display a visible counter.
Multi-User Authoring and Remote Authoring and Administration:
Many users have the possibility to author and administer pages of one singe web site at the same time. Remote Authoring and Adminstration allows users to change web site contents from any web browser if they know the login and password to the site.
Wich web hosting companies provide high-quality yet affordable FrontPage hosting?
We have compiled a list of the Top 10 FrontPage Hosting Providers for our readers.
However, if you want to write own scripts in ASP language, it is recommended that you check out our list of the Top ASP hosting providers (nearly all of them provide FrontPage Extensions) and read our article ASP Hosting explained before. | |
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