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In this document you will find answers to many of the questions you may have about using Microsoft FrontPage with Allstream.
What is Microsoft FrontPage
Microsoft FrontPage enables you to create, manage, and navigate Web sites. FrontPage includes the FrontPage Explorer, which allows you to create and manage your Web site, and FrontPage editor, with which you create, design, and edit Web pages.
FrontPage shares many of the features of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, such as the Clip Gallery, spelling, thesaurus, and easy table editing. FrontPage also manages hyperlinks created in Microsoft Office 97 Documents.
There are however certain aspects of Frontpage that are not supported on this platform. Click Here to see what they are.
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What do we mean when we say 'Allstream Supports FrontPage Extensions'?
If you currently host your Web Site with Allstream or are planning to register for Web Hosting with Allstream and you would like to use Microsoft's FrontPage software, you can choose to have FrontPage Extensions installed for use with your site. According to Microsoft's documentation for FrontPage Web Presence Providers, 'Installing FrontPage Server Extensions gives your customers full support for all of the features of FrontPage. This includes remote authoring, threaded discussions groups, full-text search, and surveys.'
Allstream offers support for Microsoft FrontPage in several ways:
- Allstream will configure your site for FrontPage by installing and maintaining the FrontPage server extensions.
- Allstream will provide Technical Support that relates to the functionality of the server extensions.
- Allstream will supply a list of resources that will help you troubleshoot, publish your FrontPage webs and learn how to get the most out of your FrontPage software.
- Allstream DOES NOT provide Technical Support that directly relates to the use of FrontPage. User issues must be referred to Microsoft's Technical Support Team (http://www.microsoft.com/customercare/).
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What are FrontPage Server Extensions?
FrontPage server extensions are a set of server-side applications that:
- Let multiple users simultaneously collaborate on the same Web site and Web server (Multi-user Authoring).
- Let users write directly to the Web server using a PC or laptop computer from anywhere in the world via the Internet. (Remote Authoring).
- Let users include forms on their Web site and specify how the results of those forms are handled.
- Let users include discussion Webs on their Web site.
- Provide full text search capability on a Web site.
- Let users include hit counters in their Web site.
This 'pre-packaged' functionality lets users incorporate these advanced features without having to write the complex server-side programs typically required.
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How can I have FrontPage Extensions installed on my site?
New Accounts
If you would like to have your Web site hosted at Allstream and
use FrontPage Extensions, please contact one
of our Allstream Business Sales specialists at 1-877-288-7253.
Existing Accounts
If you would like to have FrontPage Extensions installed on your existing Web site, please contact your Allstream Sales Representative or call 1-888-298-3452.
For Existing Domains moving from standard UNIX hosting to FrontPage on UNIX there is a migration process involved. Your Allstream Sales Representative can give your all the details on the process.
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What Version of FrontPage Server Extensions does Allstream Use?
All FrontPage Server Extensions installed are FrontPage Ver 3.0.2.1330
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What FrontPage extensions are supported?
The following Microsoft Front Page Extensions will work on the Netcom Virtual Hosting Servers:
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Extension
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Functionality
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Page Counter
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Updates a visual counter on a web site. The counter increments by one
every time an Internet browser requests a homepage.
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Multi User Authoring
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Let multiple users simultaneously collaborate on the same Web site and
Web Server.
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Forms
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Let users include forms on their Web site and specify how the results
of those forms are handled.
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Text Search Engine
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Complete text search engine for a users Web site.
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Hover Button
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An animated button on a web page that is activated when the mouse pointer
is moved over the button or when the button is clicked.
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Banner Add Manager
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A FrontPage component that shows each of a series of designated images
for a specified number of seconds, then transitions to the next image
using any number of several transition effects.
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Marqueue |
A region on a page that displays a horizontally scrolling text messages.
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Include Page
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A FrontPage component that is replace with the contents of another page.
This lets you update parts of many pages in one step.
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Page Banner
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An image, usually at the top of a web site containing graphic and text
elements.
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Scheduled Image |
A component that is replaced on the page by an image during a specified
time period. When the time period has expired, the image is no longer
displayed. This is useful for displaying graphical information that has
a limited lifetime.
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Scheduled Include
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A FrontPage component that is replaced with the contents of a file in
a FrontPage web during a specified time period. When the time period has
expired the contents of the file are no longer displayed.
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Substitution
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A FrontPage component that is replaced by the value of a selected page
or web variable.
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How much does it cost to use FrontPage Extensions?
Allstream offers FrontPage Extensions at no extra cost to our standard Web Hosting Packages.
Click Here to find out how to have Frontpage Extensions installed on your Website.
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If I publish my Web site using FrontPage, are there any limitations or precautions I need to be aware of?
Limitations
If you plan to use FrontPage for you Web site, here are some issues you should consider:
- Web Size - Your Web size is critical when a 'searchable event' (Search, Discussion Forum and Table of Contents) is present in your web. There is a lengthy process of updating the indices for these functions and can lead to a connection time-out ( http 500 Error or 'Server' 'has timed-out').
Precautions
In order to protect the FrontPage extensions on your site, there are some precautions that need to be taken if your Web site resides on our UNIX servers:
- Only FrontPage Explorer should be used to set passwords, limit access, set file permissions or delete files or directories in a FrontPage Web.
- A regular FTP program should NEVER be used to upload files to a server when FrontPage extensions are installed. This process can corrupt the extensions and disable the interactive features that are available in FrontPage.
NOTE: The exception to this is applies when you have a Web Hosting Package that allows the loading of custom scripts to the cgi-bin directory on your site. Please consult your documentation or contact Allstream's Technical Support to find out how to complete this process correctly.
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What is a FrontPage Component or 'WebBot'?
FrontPage Components or 'WebBots' are a means for opening the door to many of the interactive features that are built into FrontPage. They work by teaming up with the Web server (in some cases, the Personal Web Server on your computer, and in others, the dedicated Web server such as Allstream's on which you publish your Web site). The mechanism that you add as you insert a FrontPage Component in to a page is actually a reference to a special program that is built into the server. After you insert a FrontPage Component, the server notices the reference and starts the program, which springs into action and adds the desired special effect to your page.
FrontPage contains the following FrontPage Components, each of which performs a different task:
- Comment - This component inserts a comment into your Web page. Comments are visible to you in the Editor but are invisible when the page is viewed with a Web browser.
- Confirmation Field - This component works together with an interactive form to confirm information that visitors enter into your form fields.
- Include Page - This Component, added to a Web page, replaces itself with the contents of a second page.
- Insert HTML - This Component helps you insert HTML tags into your page.
- Page Banner - This Component, when used in conjunction with a theme, creates a graphical page banner.
- Scheduled Image - This Component works just like the Scheduled Include Page FrontPage Component (see next bullet), except that it includes an image instead of the contents of a Web page.
- Scheduled Include Page - This Component works just like the Include Page FrontPage Component, except that the inclusion appears only during a specified time period.
- Substitution - This Component enables you to display certain types of standard information in your Web pages.
For more information on the use of FrontPage Components, take a look at the documentation provided with FrontPage or contact Microsoft Technical Support (http://wwww.microsoft.com/frontpage).
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Are there any FrontPage Features that are not available when your site is hosted on one of our FrontPage on UNIX Servers?
Since FrontPage was originally created to develop Web sites in the Windows environment, some of it's more complex features are not available when the site is hosted on a UNIX server. The list of exclusions is as follows:
- Child Webs
- Active Server Pages
- ODBC and MS SQL Database connections (Access, FoxPro)
- ActiveX
- VBScript
- SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Forms Processing (using the FrontPage Save Results Component)
Click here to find out how you can use SSL with Allstream
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How to use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) with Allstream's FrontPage on UNIX?
Using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is available to through some of Allstream's Web Hosting packages. Please contact your Allstream Sales Representative or call 1-877-288-7253 for details.
NOTE: The WebBot Save Results Component in the FrontPage Form Handler Properties cannot be used under FrontPage on UNIX with SSL. A CGI script in your Domain's cgi-bin must handle secure output from the page forms.
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FrontPage Learning Resources
Microsoft FrontPage Homepage - http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/
Microsoft FrontPage FAQ Sites - http://dynamicnet.net/customercare/fp/faqs.htm
Microsoft FrontPage 98 Frequently Asked Questions - http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/productinfo/faqs.htm
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Other Resources
In addition to the information that is supplied in these pages you can contact
Allstream's Business Technical Support for answers to specific issues relating
to your Web Hosting at 1-866-282-0111.
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