FrontPage gets XML, loses 'messy' HTML

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS
Microsoft has announced details of FrontPage 2003, the next version of the Web authoring package, which is slated to come out this autumn around the same time as the other Office System products it works with. Previous versions of FrontPage have offered a light-duty Web editing tool useful for consumers and small businesses with a modest Web presence. The new version, however, is aimed squarely at the business world, with enhancements intended to appeal to professional Web designers and IT administrators. As with other portions of the upcoming Office 2003 family of software, the biggest changes in FrontPage revolve around Extensible Markup Language (XML), the rapidly gaining standard for sharing data among disparate computer systems. XML support in other products is focused on shuttling data to databases and other corporate backend systems. In FrontPage, the data moves in the other direction. XML applications created with the software will suck relevant information from databases, constantly updating the information presented to viewers. "We focused on really being able to extend your Web pages beyond static pages...to become data driven and connected to multiple data sources using XML," said Melisa Samuelson, a Microsoft product manager. The code-writing interface in FrontPage has also been dramatically revised, Samuelson said, with the idea of allowing designers to easily transfer code to and from other applications. "We've heard in the past that customers felt our code wasn't transparent enough, that we generated messy code," she said. "We've really focused on generating clean, industry-standard HTML code." Rob Helm, an analyst for research firm Directions on Microsoft, said Microsoft's goal with the new FrontPage isn't necessarily to compete with professional Web-authoring packages such as Macromedia's Dreamweaver or Adobe Systems' GoLive. Instead, FrontPage is being crafted to support other Microsoft software and services, most notably SharePoint, Microsoft's collection of server and desktop collaboration software that let workers share documents and data. "Microsoft is hoping Windows SharePoint Services will kick off an orgy of Web development inside the organisation, and this is one of the ways you take advantage of that," Helm said. "FrontPage is being positioned as what you use if the generic SharePoint tools aren't enough." "They might like to take a little business away from Macromedia or Adobe," he added. "But it's really important to have FrontPage just to support what Microsoft wants to do with the server. Microsoft needs a tool that's friendly with its way of using server resources." While previous editions of FrontPage were included in most versions of Office, Microsoft's collection of productivity applications, the new version will only be sold as a standalone product. Pricing has not been announced. Samuelson said casual Web designers who used previous versions of FrontPage will find the new one at least as approachable. However, much of the market for mom-and-pop Web design has already moved on. "For people who already use FrontPage today to create simple Web pages, we've added tools to make it even easier for them," she said. "But a lot of those people have moved to much simpler solutions." Helm said there's good business logic behind Microsoft's decision to focus on higher-level Web design. "My sense is they've just determined that (FrontPage) is something like Visio (Microsoft's diagramming and drawing software) -- the people who need it, need it badly enough to pay for it," he said. A limited version of the current FrontPage could be retooled for delivery in Microsoft's MSN online service, Helm speculated. "I can picture the baby tool for Web design eventually becoming part of the MSN client," he said.
See the Software News Section for the latest headlines on everything from peer to peer clients to Office software and beyond. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

JCB33

How dare film makers, artists or anybody that invests in creativity stop us pirating their works for free. I want to be able to walk into my local...

5 hours ago by JCB33 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
Moley

@GrueMaster. I prefer horses for courses rather than one size fits all. I, and I suspect most other computer users, do not really wish to have...

7 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
greycynic

The product that scares me every time I have to use it is the Office 2007 version of Excel. The first bug that I found was applying the median...

8 hours ago by greycynic on Ten flawed products that derail productivity
GrueMaster

Nice review and very informative. One thing I'd like to add (in reply to whs001's 1st question), the main reason to have the same interface from...

9 hours ago by GrueMaster on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Frederick Wrigley

I'be been using Mint 12 since the RC came out, and I am far more happy with the Cinnamon, the Mate, and, yes (with extensions), theGnome 3...

10 hours ago by Frederick Wrigley via Facebook on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
bdantas

Excellent article. One small correction, though--although a fresh installation of Linux Mint 12 will, indeed, provide the user with a version of...

10 hours ago by bdantas on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

11 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

11 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Moley

For Gnome 2 die-hards, it is possible to add icons to the bottom panel (or top top panel, if you prefer) which provide the exact Gnome 2...

12 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
ramwellian

Your comments would seem pretty naive and immature. Your 'solution' appears to be, "gee, let's all just give in to the hackers and give them...

12 hours ago by ramwellian on Cloud computing security: no more oxymoron?
BugStalker

"Interesting thought ... If you installed Win7 as a dual boot on a machine that previously only had Linux, and it wrecked your Linux installation,...

12 hours ago by BugStalker on Windows 7 Declares War on GRUB
whs001

This is an excellent summary of Ubuntu and Mint and the interface differences between them. Most such articles take a very partisan position for...

12 hours ago by whs001 on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Moley

@ewallace. Not so clear. Anyone can obtain the text, for example from here http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2379. I support ACTA so long as it and...

13 hours ago by Moley on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
45283

I think WinRT is fantastic. I just wish it was an option for people that didn't want to go through Microsoft's App Store with its attendant...

16 hours ago by 45283 on Why Windows 8 needs architectural hygiene for WOA
Burn-IT

Nine people? £30m? Who's back pocket is that lot going in? And IF they say it is for new buildings, what about all the ones the government has...

17 hours ago by Burn-IT on Police set to launch three £30m e-crime hubs
ewallace

Just to be clear, nobody knows what is in the text of ACTA, here is a photograph of the text of ACTA http://twitpic.com/8h9iju as submitted to the...

17 hours ago by ewallace on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
fgvrg56

Unfortunately main issue is that ASUS is refusing to accept that they make some mistake on this version of asus Transformer prime. 1 - GPS sensor...

18 hours ago by fgvrg56 on Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Wi-Fi & GPS problems?
Ben Woods

@Marcus A fair question. Just talked with Archos which said it was working on an announcement for next week....

19 hours ago by Ben Woods on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
Marcus Karlsson

Any update on this, considering the claimed "first week of February"?

20 hours ago by Marcus Karlsson via Facebook on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
apexwm

Bill Goodrich : Just as al_langevin pointed out, with Windows Server 2008 there is no Services for Macintosh anymore. It's gone, not available....

1 day ago by apexwm on Windows Server 2008 drops the ball for Mac compatibility

Latest in Application Development