FrontPage hosting is requested so frequently due to the success of Microsoft’s web site creation software “FrontPage”.
What is MS FrontPage?
Microsoft FrontPage (full name Microsoft Office FrontPage) is a HTML editor that works on the WYSIWYG basis (What You See Is What You Get), wich means it is a graphical program to design web pages. The software appeared first in 1997 and has since been replaced by Sharepoint Designer (2006) and Microsoft Expression Web (2010). Since all these softwares are Microsoft products, they all run on the Windows Platform.
FrontPage is a program, that enables users to build interactive web pages, who do not know how to program in scripting languages like PHP. Thus, FrontPage is aimed at unexperienced users, that want to build their own web sites nevertheless. The FrontPage Version that came on the market in 2003 allows for scripting in ASP language (Active Server Pages) though, so intermediately experienced users can write some dynamic features that go beyond the standard features of FrontPage Extensions, if needed.
What are FrontPage Extensions?
FrontPage Extensions are standard files that are installed at the server. These files contain scripts for interactive features, that FrontPage users can integrate in their web sites without programing skills. It vital to understand that interactive elements like a counter or forms contained in a FrontPage-created web page, will not WORK AT ALL without these FrontPage Extensions installed on the server Ottawahouse. So this is a feature, that FrontPage hosting providers must offer. Only if they do so, then their service can be called FrontPage hosting.
Wich web servers provide MS FrontPage extensions?
FrontPage Extensions are available for Linux and for Windows servers. If ASP scripting should be performed as well, then a Windows hosting provider would be the better choice, since ASP pages run only on Windows servers. If you want to use scripting in ASP additionally to the standard features of the FrontPage Extensions, please read our article ASP Hosting explained.
It is very important to understand, that you as a client of a shared hosting provider CAN NOT install FrontPage Extensions to your account. Please make sure FrontPage Extensions are already part of the hosting package, before you sign up. We have compiled a list of the Top 10 Frontpage Hosting Providers for our readers. All of these providers’ hosting plans contain FrontPage Extensions and support web sites created with MS FrontPage properly.
