Microsoft FrontPage vs. ?

[ChasUFarley]

Problem: Client needs a web page that will have manditory form fields for visitors to fill in and submit (contact information). Currently, he has a Word document download for this that isn't working the way he'd like it to (and it's cheesy!)

Solution: Redesign the page using a program that will ask for the information required. This can be done using Access, but would take a long time to build. I've been told that FrontPage can do this and the client says for me to buy it. I want to make sure he's getting the most bang for his buck - I know the rest of Office 2000 really well, but haven't used FrontPage in years...

Question: Is FrontPage worth the $$? Will it really do what the client is looking for (and more?)

[Zixar]

It's really server-dependent. If it's running on a Windows web server, then FP2k is the way to go. If it's running on a Unix server, you might want to take a look at Dreamweaver instead.

Secret Signature of the Day==v

Fnord.

[igotout]

Not very knowledgeable on these matters but I do know that FP has been vastly improved since 2000. I hear that FP 2003 is even better that 2002 and before. Couldn't hurt to have it in your arsenal of tools. It is getting good reviews.

With their $50 billion in cash, I am sure Microsoft is trying to compete with DreamWeaver (or buy them). Ha. Isn't there another good one people use for web design?

[Steve!]

I use Front Page all the time, it's the standard for the University where I teach part-time.

It's easy to use, and not overly glitchy.

[Bluzeman]

Chas:

You mentioned Access. If you are going to use front page to interface with a database such as access, you will still need the database on the server hosting the site. But then you can create the back-end database and use frontpage to create asp documents to store and retrieve the data.

However you go, if you are going to be using front page and are new to it, here is a great site to get your questions answered:

http://www.timeforweb.com/forums.htm

I asked a lot on this site when I was first learning asp programming, and now am able to answer questions on occasion :)-->

Rick

[pawtucket]

Ditto to all that has been said.

Front Page is the way to go, if you need a short learning curve.

Dreamweaver is very powerful, but you need to set aside some time to get up and running.

[GarthP2000]

Ditto to a lot of what has been said here. Frontpage for ease of learning, but Dreamweaver for the serious professional stuff. Plus, up until recently Frontpage was notorious for inserting its own code in your page, even if you specifically wanted something else. And a lot of ex-Frontpage developers switched over to Dreamweaver because of this.

Adobe has a web design package (forgot what its called off the bat), and I don't know how that compares.

I myself use Dreamweaver MX.

My own secret sign-off ====v,

Rational logic cannot have blind faith as one of its foundations. Prophet Emeritus of THE, and Wandering CyberUU Hippie,

Garth P.

www.gapstudioweb.com

[ChasUFarley]

Thanks to all for your input.

You've basically confirmed what I had thought but wanted to hear from the voices of experience, which you all have done...

I do have Dreamweaver - now, could the info from a table in DW be imported to Excel or Access for a spreadsheet (read: mail merge)?

(I doubt it, but thought I'd ask.)

[Mister P-Mosh]

Save this to html:

<h3>Contact Us:</h3>
<form name="form" method="post" action="email.php">
<p class="bodymd">Your Name<br>
<input type="text" name="Name">
</p>
<p class="bodymd">Your Email<br>
<input type="text" name="Email">
</p>
<p class="bodymd">Comments or Questions<br>
<textarea name="Comments" rows="5" cols="40"></textarea>
</p>
<p class="bodymd">
<input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit">
<input type="reset" name="Reset" value="Clear Form">
</p>
</form>

Save this as email.php

<?php
if (($Name == "") || ($Email == "") || ($Comments == ""))
{
        echo "<form name=form method=post action=email.php>";
        echo "<p class=bodymd>Please fill out the fields in order to send an email.</p>";
        echo "<p class=bodymd>The ones you missed are listed below.</p>";
}
if ($Name == "")
{
        echo "<p class=bodymd>Your Name<br><input type=text name=Name></p>";
}
else
{
        echo "<input type=hidden name=Name value=$Name>";
}
if ($Email == "")
{
        echo "<p class=bodymd>Your Email<br><input type=text name=Email></p>";
}
else
{
        echo "<input type=hidden name=Email value=$Email>";
}
if ($Comments == "")
{
        echo "<p class=bodymd>Comments or Questions<br><textarea name=Comments rows=5 cols=40></textarea></p>";
}
else
{
        echo "<input type=hidden name=Comments value=$Comments>";
}
if (($Name == "") || ($Email == "") || ($Comments == ""))
{
        echo "<input type=submit name=Submit value=Submit>";
        echo "<input type=reset name=Reset value=Clear Form>";
        echo "</form>";
}
else
{
        $message = "Name: $NamenEmail: $EmailnUser Agent: $HTTP_USER_AGENTnIP Address: $REMOTE_ADDRnRemote Host: $R
EMOTE_HOSTnComments: $Commentsn";
        $extra = "From: $NamernReply-To: $Emailrn";
        mail ("PUTYOUREMAILHERE@ISP.COM", "Website Email from $REMOTE_HOST", $message, $extra);
        echo "<p class=bodymd>Thanks for your inguiry, $Name.</p>";
        echo "<p class=bodymd>A response will be sent to $Email as soon as possible.</p>";
        echo "<p class=bodymd><A HREF="java script:history.back()" 
           onMouseOver="return setStatus('Back')"
           onMouseOut="return setStatus('')">Go Back</A></center>";
}
?>

You have to have PHP installed, but it should work pretty much instantly if you do, although you may want to change it a bit. You do absolutely have to change the email address though.

I use vi for all my web development, although for work I usually just use notepad.

[ChasUFarley]

Mr. Mosh -

My hat is off to you - incredible!

This worked immediately - it just sort of 'appeared' on the screen when I pasted it in place.

Shockwave & awe!

[Mister P-Mosh]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ChasUFarley:

Mr. Mosh -

My hat is off to you - incredible!

This worked immediately - it just sort of 'appeared' on the screen when I pasted it in place.

Shockwave & awe!

---

You're welcome. This is actually an older version of what I use on my site. The only difference is that I pass a variable to allow people to send emails to multiple accounts. The only problem right now is that it's not database-driven so I want to set that up, so I simply use my database to get the list of people that can recieve an email and populate that.