Microsoft FrontPage 2002 Simply Visual

Chapter 1: Creating a Web Site

This chapter takes you through the planning stages, gets you up and running on the program, discusses the virtues and limitations of templates, and summarizes the various views. You are introduced to hyperlinks, HTML, Wizards, Mother page, Child page, Parent page, and the other commonly encountered features of designing a Web site using FrontPage. You will also learn about more aesthetic design considerations, such as the use of themes in site development.

Before you begin developing your Web site in FrontPage, there are several issues to consider and a few decisions to make. First, of course, is the question of what type of Web page or Web site you want to build. What is the focus of your design? Are you looking to create a personal page or site? Maybe you want to create a business site. Perhaps you're a hobbyist, anxious to display your extensive knowledge and imagery on your favorite subject, or a collector who wants to show off your best pieces in a personal, online museum.

Tip: Frontpage 2002 uses "web" to mean Web site.

After you've decided the kind of Web page or Web site you want to produce, you should consider the question of content. Stagnant sites will not draw repeat visitors, and if you want to generate traffic, you will have to update the material on a regular basis. Do you intend to generate all this content on your own, or will you be recruiting other people to produce the content? Content creation is usually the most overlooked aspect of Web design, but unless your ambition is limited to producing something such as an online family log, with photos of family and pets, birthdates, and a list of everyone's hobbies and interests, creating content might constitute your single greatest challenge.

Attracting and growing a vibrant base of visitors to your Web site or Web page requires you to have a good idea of who will make up your audience. You need to consider issues of demographics-who is interested in your Web site, how old are they, and so on. Are you aiming at surfers with a casual interest in your subject matter, or are you focusing on the expert audience?

After you've dealt with these important matters, you need to decide whether you intend to work from a template or create your site from scratch. All but the most experienced users should begin with one of the templates provided with FrontPage. These templates offer a satisfying variety of formats representing the most popular Web site styles. You can also customize a template to your specific needs by replacing the headers, textual arrangements, or graphic elements.

After you've familiarized yourself with the basics of Web site creation and maintenance, you can become more adventurous...

Working with Navigation View

Any page that links directly to the home page is a Child page, but it can also be a Parent page if it, in turn, produces Child pages that link to it. Each page that opens one tier below the page it is linked to is a Child page. The terms Parent and Child page are therefore relational in nature. The higher page in the hierarchy will always be the parent to any linked lower page, which will always be the child. Therefore, a second-level page can be both the Child of a page and the Parent page of a lower-level Child page.

Navigational view provides an easy way to view your pages. It also provides the easiest method for re-arranging the order of your pages, or creating new Parent pages. You can reposition a page in your web by dragging a page.

Applying a Theme to a Web Page

Initially, a site made from a template will probably be adequate for your needs, but as you visit more sites and become more familiar with the Internet, you will notice telltale indications of template-based sites.

Themes are crucial in building an original, distinctive site. When your needs become more sophisticated, no template will suit all your needs. Using themes is the most accessible and user-friendly method to enhance your web.

Format a Web Page Using a Theme