Understanding How Front Page Works

                Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 is a comprehensive application that you can use to develop Web sites. This sophisticated program includes everything you need to create Web sites ranging from a simple Web-based resume to a complex Web-based retail store.

               In spite of its sophistication, FrontPage is easy to use. As a member of The Microsoft Office System 2003 suite of applications, it works pretty much the same way the other Office applications do. If you've avoided trying to create Web sites because you didn't want to learn how to program in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), FrontPage might
well be the answer you've been waiting for. With FrontPage, you can easily create good-looking, interesting Web sites that incorporate complex elements, without typing a single line of programming code. But if you have some HTML programming experi­ence or want to feel more in control, FrontPage gives you easy access to the code that it creates behind the scenes. You can view and edit the underlying HTML code at any time; but the great thing is that you don't have to. No programming experience is necessary to become a successful FrontPage developer.

               This chapter introduces FrontPage and explains the concept of a FrontPage-based Web site. You will learn how to open an existing Web site, how to navigate between Web pages, and how to view the pages in different ways. You will then look at various ways of working in FrontPage and learn how to locate and control the FrontPage features you are likely to want to use in your own Web sites. In addition, you will learn how to view the underlying HTML code that makes all Web sites work. You will also get an overview of the different types of Web sites you can create with FrontPage and of the decision-making tools and resources that are necessary to create, manage, and maintain a personal or commercial Web site.