BEGINNING TO USE FRONTPAGE 2000
TO EDIT WEB PAGES

Dr. Richard L. Bowman, Director
Academic Computing, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA, USA 22812

I. Introduction

Want to create or edit a web page? There are several ways this can be done:

• writing "raw" HTML code
• using a word processor such as Microsoft Word
• utilizing a WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") HTML editor such as FrontPage 2000

This tutorial is designed to enable you to learn how to use FrontPage 2000 to edit your web pages. FrontPage 2000 is very similar in action to a word processor with its easy use of the "cut and paste" technique, while being designed from the ground up to be a web editor. (For example, this tutorial was written using FrontPage Express, an older stripped down editor, and FrontPage 2000.)

Regardless of the method used for authoring web pages, the most important suggestion is to begin by doing. Simply write your first page and take it from there. Web pages are always a "work in progress." Web pages need to be updated and revised regularly.

II. Start FrontPage 2000

1. Begin by clicking on the Windows "Start" button, selecting "Programs" and locating the link to FrontPage 2000. (Often it will be in a Microsoft Office folder, or it may be in a Multimedia folder.) Once FrontPage 2000 is running, a blank web page will appear ready for composing.

2. Set the options appropriately for basic web authoring. FrontPage 2000 has a number of default settings that add a number of different functionalities to web pages that are not compatible with all of the major browsers. The first step is to change these. From the "Tools" menu, select "Page Options." Click on the "Compatibility" tab. Then set the "Browser" option to "Custom" if that is not the option showing. Also, click on the option, "Enable with Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions," so as to un-check it. Make certain that the only options selected in the next section are "JavaScript," "Java applets," "CSS 1.0" and "CSS 2.0." These last two options allow for automatic generation of cascading style sheets, however, some older browsers do not support this capability and not all of the newer browsers implement style sheets in the same way. So for the most certain compatibility with most browsers, do not leave "CSS 1.0" or "CSS 2.0" checked. Your Page Options/Compatibility dialog box should look like that shown below.

Also, from the "Tools" menu, select "Options," not "Page Options" as done above. Then click on the "General" tab, if it is not already showing. Click the checkboxes as necessary to mark the options as shown below.

3. To create a webpage from scratch, begin by typing directly into this clean web page window, as seen below.

To create a new web page while editing another page, simply click on the "New" button on the toolbar. For more options, click on the "File" menu in FrontPage 2000 and then click on the selection called "New." A list of possible "wizards" or default types of web pages will pop up. Select the one most appropriate to your needs.

4. To edit a web page that already exists on your hard drive or your institution's web server, locate the file and double-click on it to display it in Internet Explorer. From the toolbar of Internet Explorer press the arrow beside the "Edit" button and select FrontPage Editor. (If no "Edit" button exists or the FrontPage Editor is not available, contact the IT Center.) One may also first run FrontPage 2000 and open the web page file from the "File" menu.

III. Construct a Simple Web Page

Begin with a blank page in FrontPage 2000, and follow the tutorial below. (Note: When a button is referred to, it is usually a button on one of the toolbars at the top of FrontPage 2000. To view the label of any button on a toolbar, simply move the mouse pointer over that button and pause until a textbox appears with the action of that button.)

1. Place a Headline at the Top of the Page.

With the cursor at the top of the page, press the button to center text. Change the Text Style box to Heading 1. Then type the heading you wish to give your web page. (If you do not have another project in mind, begin by entering your name as if you were working on a personal web page.) When you are finished entering the heading, simply press Enter and notice that the Text Style returns to Normal.

2. Use a Table to Facilitate Formatting.

Press the Insert Table button and then drag through two cells in the top row and release the mouse. A default empty table will appear below your main heading. Then from the Table menu choose Select Table and press the Center text button.

3. Enter some text.

If the cursor is not in the left most cell of the table, click once there. Begin typing some information in paragraph format. Include at least enough to make two paragraphs. Note that pressing the Enter key at the end of a paragraph produces a half space between paragraphs. So as not to place an extra blank line at the end of the last paragraph, DO NOT press Enter at the end of the last paragraph.

Note There are times when that half space is not desirable after the end of a line. To place an HTML "break" as an ending for a line as opposed to a "new paragraph" command, hold down the Shift key while pressing the Enter key. A right-angled left-arrow will appear to indicate the "break" command, but it will not show up on the final web page.

Note: At this point it is a good idea to save the emerging web page document. Choose or create an appropriate folder under your account or on your computer. For the first (topmost) web page at any site, use the file name "index.html". This simplifies the URL (web address) for your web site since the file name "index.html" will not have to be part of the address as the web server will automatically assume that is its name.

4. Insert a picture.

Images (pictures, charts, and other graphics) should be first saved in the folder in which the web page calling them is located on your computer. Once that is done, back in FrontPage 2000, click on the second cell of the table. Then press the Insert Image button and browse to locate the image in the folder from which you are editing your web page. Press OK and see the image show up on your emerging web page.

Caution: If you browse your computer files to locate the image, make certain to delete any of the extraneous information relating to the file path leaving only the image name itself!

5. Use a Bulleted List

One characteristic of web pages, that quickly becomes obvious to users when they stop to think about it, is that data is often best presented in "bite-sized" chunks. Under most circumstances, users will not read several paragraphs to obtain a few selected items of information. So try redesigning your two paragraphs into bulleted lists. Begin by placing the cursor at the beginning of the cell in which the text now exists. Follow this by pressing the Bulleted List button, and proceeding from there.

Note: If you change your mind about a particular editing activity, it can be reversed by going to the Edit menu and selecting Undo ....

Your web page (in FrontPage 2000) may look somewhat like the screen shot below.

Note: The color for the heading on this page was changed through the Font dialog box. To use this, highlight the appropriate text, then select the Format menu and the Font option. As is usual, one can also simply right-click on the highlighted text and select the Font option from the resulting menu.

6. Include the Author's Name and the Date of Creation.

Just as knowing the author and date of publication has some importance when reading or citing a book or article, so does knowing this same information for the web pages we read or create. Take the time to add your name, your email address (if possible, so readers may contact you) and the date of creation or modification of your web page. Begin by adding a horizontal line below the other info on your page. Go to the Insert menu and choose Horizontal Line. Then add your name and other information below that.

7. Insert a Hyperlink to Another Page or as an Automatic Email Link.

Adding a hyperlink that enables the user to email the author is straight forward. Locate where you wish to place this link, possibly after the author's name, and type in the email address (with spaces on either side), and FrontPage 2000 will automatically turn it into a "mailto" command and thus an active hyperlink.

Other hyperlinks can be constructed similarly using the full URL for the site. Place the cursor where the hyperlink is to be place and type the URL leaving a space on either side of the address. This will be automatically converted to a link to that web site.

To link to another page at your web site, enter the text (one or more words) or an image that you wish to become the hyperlink. Then highlight the text or image and select the Insert Link button. In the resulting dialogue box, delete the text, "http://," from the URL box and simply type the name of the web page to be linked. This should include the extension, e.g., next.html, on the web page file.

Caution: If you browse your computer files to locate the web page, make certain to delete any of the extraneous information relating to the file path leaving only the file name itself!

8. Add Background Color to a Table or the Page as a Whole, or Change Text Color.

Some times the web author may wish to add color to a given cell or a whole table, to do this, right click in that cell or table and select either Cell Properties or Table Properties. In the resulting dialogue box, choose the background color you wish from the list of possibilities or make a custom color.

Do a similar right click on the web page and select Page Properties to obtain a dialogue box that allows choosing a background color for the page as a whole.

To change the color of a section of text, such as the header, highlight the text to be edited and then move to the Format menu and select Font. Caution: While different font styles may be selected in the resulting dialogue box, resist this temptation, please! Most users will not have all of the fonts on their computer that you have on yours, so a page that looks right for you may look much differently to others. As is usual, one can also simply right-click on the highlighted text and select the Font option from the resulting menu to change text color.

9. Enter a Title for the Web Page.

Search engines, as well as most browsers, use the title of a web page for various purposes. For examples, the title assigned to a page is the default name that will be used when users save your web page in their Favorites collection or Bookmark your web site. Thus begin with the most important word or idea and do not use such words as Home or Page (there are unnecessary). To change or add a title, from the File menu select Page Properties and enter the title in the appropriate box. Or simply do a right click on the web page and select Page Properties.

IV. Review Your New Web Page in a Web Browser.

Always take a look at your web page in a browser--in fact in more than one if you have access to more than one. (You have been saving your web page at intervals as you have progressed in your editing, haven't you?) Note anything you need or want to change, and then make those editing changes in FrontPage 2000. Finally go back and view the edited web page again. Remember to save the edited page and to press the Refresh or Reload button on your browser.

Here is how my sample page looks in a small browser window.

Note: While FrontPage 2000 will automatically check your spelling, sometime you might edit a webpage in another editor that does not have a spellchecker. To remedy this situation, after editing your webpage, open it in Microsoft Word or another word processor. Check the spelling there, BUT do not save the file from Word! (Word does generate acceptable HTML code; however, it often defines such things as the width of tables when they do not need to be set and its formatting of the underlying HTML code is not as neat.) Simply note the mistakes in spelling on a print out of your web page, close Word, and open the page again in you original webpage editor and make the necessary changes.

V. "Publish It!"

When the web page contains the information you want it to and it looks good when viewed using a browser, then it is ready to be "published." This involves transferring all HTML files and graphics files into the appropriate directory on the computer acting as the web server for our college. This simply means copying all of the files from your X-drive to the W-drive, if they are your personal web pages or course-related pages. Some necessary links may have to be added to your departmental web page. Talk to your department's web master to have these links installed.

If you are responsible for departmental web pages, then the HTML and image files must be copied to the appropriate folder on the O-drive. If web pages for your department have not existed in the past, or if you want them linked to the main college pages in a different fashion, then contact the IT Center for assistance.

But don't rest yet! Your job is not complete until you view your web pages from a different computer and, if possible, from a different login account. Some image and hyperlink problems do not show up until a person who is not the author tries to access the web pages. So see what your web pages look like in your office and from home. Also, have other persons (students, family and friends) view your creations. Make whatever adjustments are necessary.

VI. In Conclusion

• Read and apply the Hints and Resources for effective webpage authoring that are part of this tutorial.
• Remember: Place solid content on your web page, make it easy to read, provide good additional resource links, and you will have a good web site!

Appendix A: Follow These Suggestions and Things to Remember

• Always Edit Your Web Page in FrontPage 2000 and Display It in Internet Explorer at the Same Time.

FrontPage 2000 attempts to display web pages as they would be viewed in a web browser, but to be certain of the look and feel of a web page, display it in a web browser. Note: Remember to save the file after making changes and to refresh the web page display in the browser to see what effect the changes have on how the page displays.

• Make Certain Your Web Page Has a Title.

To add or change a title of a web page, right click on the web page and select "Page Properties". This title is what will show up at the top of the browser when the page is viewed by a user. It will also be the name of its entry in the Favorites column, when it is added there, and it will be the name displayed by search engines that index your site.

• Place Your Name (as Author) and the Date of Creation or Modification at the Bottom of Your Web Page.

Just as a book should identify its author, so should web pages. Also, with the rapid changes in our world, placing the date of creation or modification on a web page is very important. If you have an email address, it is also a good idea to make a link from which persons can email you.

• Hyperlinks and Email Addresses Should Usually Be Shown as Full URLs.

While there are cases where making a special word or phrase a hyperlink to some other web resource, remember that the associated web address (URL) does not print out when the web page is printed by a user. Good web authoring practice would thus be to use the full URL as the hyperlink text. This is what has been done most often in this tutorial.

This also makes creating the hyperlink in FrontPage 2000 an easy experience. Simply type the URL, e.g., http://www.bridgewater.edu/~rbowman/ (with a space before and after the URL), and FrontPage 2000 will automatically convert it to a hyperlink. If the URL is an email address, then the appropriate "mailto" HTML code will be created, e.g., rbowman@bridgewater.edu .

• The Main Web Page of Your Site Should Have the Name "index.html".

On the Bridgewater College web server, as on many web servers, if the main page at any site is named "index.html," then it can be referenced in a hyperlink by giving the directory name only. For example, the main page of Bridgewater's Academic Computing site is named "index.html" and can be access by going to http://www.bridgewater.edu/cescc/acadcomp/ where the file name of "index.html" is provided implicitly by the server.

• Initially Edit and Save Your Web Pages on Your Hard Drive.

Web pages that are saved on any hard drive can be viewed by a browser by simply locating the file and double-clicking on its icon/name. It will be displayed automatically by the browser. Editing web pages off of the web server allows the user to make changes without displaying all of the construction process to the world.

• When You Are Ready to Show the World Your Creation, Save the Web Pages and Associated Files to the Web Server.

At Bridgewater, web pages can simply be saved to the W-drive to be visible to the world. Minor changes can also be made to a web page directly from the W-drive, as long as the file is saved back to the W-drive.

• Include Pictures or Graphics, but Keep Them Small with a Narrow Subject Focus.

Use the "Insert" menu or the "Insert Image" button to add a picture or graphic where the cursor is presently located. Images can add a lot to a web page; however, keep in mind that the larger the image file, the longer it will take to load on computers that are off-campus and using modems to connect to the Internet.

• Use Tables to Facilitate Layout of Text and Graphics.

Many times columns of text and graphics are desired on a web page, or the author wishes a graphic to be placed at a certain position on the page and for text to flow around it in a certain way. This can be accomplished by using tables. Hint: the border around a table can be set to zero, and it will not be displayed on the web page. Additional Hint: do not use the width parameter on your tables so that they will be sized automatically by whatever browser is displaying the web page. Horizontal scroll bars should be avoided at all costs!

• Learn to Use the Right Mouse Button to Get Menus that Facilitate Tailoring Particular Features on the Web Page.

FrontPage 2000 will present a context-specific menu when a web author right-clicks on a particular location or feature on the web page being edited. Learn to use this very valuable feature from your first day of web authoring.

• Utilize a Bite-sized Informational Style.

Internet users expect to find information in bulleted lists, short paragraphs, and hyperlinks to more information. Avoid long and wordy pages that are hard to read and that make it difficult for users to find exactly what they want. (Pages such as this tutorial are exceptions to this rule.)

• Avoid Using Animated Graphics, Dark Backgrounds, and General Clutter.

Remember that conveying information is what the Internet is all about. A glitzy web site that does not have much if any content is a worthless site. Dark backgrounds and light letters may look neat at first glance, but they are often difficult for sustained reading. Also, such pages do not print well. Black type prints faster than colored type on color printers and stands out well when printed. (White or yellow type on white paper is impossible to read. Also, use only the default fonts (plus italics and bold type) since someone else's computer may not have your favorite font available.

Appendix B: Resources

In addition to this tutorial, the reader will probably find several other resources helpful.

Web Authoring Tutorials at Bridgewater College's Academic Computing Web Site
(Go to http://www.bridgewater.edu/cescc/acadcomp/ and select "Web Authoring Guides".)

• "Converting Office Documents to Web Pages" - a guide to changing Word, Excel and PowerPoint files into web pages.
• "Writing Your First (Or Second Or...) Web Page" - gives a brief introduction to HTML. Every web author should try to write at least a simple web page in raw HTML using only a text editor such as Notepad. This tutorial leads you through the process.
• "Hints for Authoring Effective Web Sites"--a quick visual summary including a version with an audio track.

Other Tutorials and Books

• Microsoft FrontPage 2000 Tutorial (with a "Beginner Tutorial" and an "Advanced Tutorial") from Florida Gulf Coast University
  [ http://www.fgcu.edu/support/office2000/frontpage/ ]
• FrontPage 2000 for Visual Learners (Richmond, VA: Visibooks, 2001)
  [ http://www.visibooks.com/ ]
• Other resources can be found by searching the web for "FrontPage 2000 tutorial."