Microsoft FrontPage Related Questions What is meant by we "support FrontPage extensions"? We support Microsoft FrontPage in several ways: We configure your site for FrontPage by installing and maintaining the server extensions. We provide Technical Support related to the functionality of the extensions. We point FrontPage users to resources that will help you solve problems, publish your FrontPage webs and learn techniques for getting the most from your FrontPage software. We DO NOT provide direct technical support related to the use of your FrontPage software. User issues are referred to Microsoft's Technical Support Team. What are "server extensions"? FrontPage extensions are CGI programs that provide the server side implementation of FrontPage. FrontPage communicates with the extensions via HTTP using a Remote Procedure Call (RPC). When the server sees the "POST" request addressed to the FrontPage server extensions it simply directs the request to the appropriate CGI program. The extensions implement authoring (uploading/downloading documents, ToDo lists), administration (setting end-user, author, and administrator privileges), and dynamic content (browse-time WebBot components). Without the FrontPage server extensions you will not be able to take advantage of the WebBots that are available through FrontPage. Also, without the extensions you cannot author and administer your web using the tools provided as part of the FrontPage Editor/Explorer package. How do I get the FrontPage extensions installed on my site? New Accounts - Check the box on the order form indicating that you want the FrontPage extensions. New domains that request the FrontPage extensions when the order is placed will have the extensions installed within two days of activation. Existing Accounts - To have the FrontPage server extensions installed on your existing site, send an e-mail request to support@anet.net with you domain information. Is there a charge for the server extensions? There is no charge for installing the server extensions Are there any limitations when publishing with FrontPage? There are some issues that potential FrontPage users should consider: 1.Web size -- This seems to be most critical when a "searchable event" is present in the web (Search, Discussion Forum and Table of Contents). The lengthy process of updating the indices for these functions can lead to the connection timing-out (HTTP 500 Error or 'Server has timed-out'). 2.Disk Usage -- You may create and publish as many child webs as your disk storage space allows. However, for each child web you publish, FrontPage duplicates certain information into indices and hidden files. This adds 'overhead,' increasing the storage space required for your files. Microsoft's documentation notes, "FrontPage's optional full-text search indexes can take up to the same amount of disk space as your textual content." There are several precautions which need to be taken to protect the FrontPage extensions on your site if it is housted on our UNIX servers: a) Do NOT use the Edit Access or File Manager features found in your Control Panel to set passwords, limit access, set file permissions or delete directories or files in a FrontPage web. This should only be done through the options in FrontPage Explorer. Can I use FTP as well as FrontPage to manage my site? Do NOT use regular FTP (such as WS_FTP) to upload files to the server when FrontPage extensions are installed. This may corrupt the extensions, disabling the interactive features available with FrontPage. NOTE: The exception to this is when loading custom scripts to the cgi-local directory on your site. To publish your site using FrontPage follow these steps: 1. Get online with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). 2. Open Microsoft FrontPage. 3. Open the web that you wish to publish. 4. Click on Files then Publish Web. 5. A Publish Web dialogue box will appear. Enter in the domain name of the site in which you want to publish the pages to (using http://yourdomain.com). 6. If you have an existing page and are updating it you have the option of only publishing changed pages or re-publishing the entire site. 7. Click on OK when you are finished with your selection. 8. You will be prompted for your User ID (yourdomain without the suffix .com or .net) and password if you have never connected to the server. Enter this information in the spaces provided and proceed. 9. During the publishing process you will see the pages listing, copying and updating the server. 10. You can check the changes by going to your site in an open browser. What is a WebBot? WebBots are the mechanism for invoking many of the interactive features built into FrontPage. These features are added to your web through the FrontPage Editor Insert WebBot component Some, such as ''Include'' and ''Substitution'' allow elements of the web to be entered once and included in any or all of the pages by inserting the Bot component referencing that element (e.g., a logo or navigation bar). Changes made to the 'master' element are made automatically to any page containing the referencing Bot. Other Bots, such as Search, Table of Contents and Timestamp, control dynamic browse-time features. These Bots work behind the scenes to keep the web up-to-date for visitors. The Page Counter Bot, which is available from the FrontPage CD-ROM or Microsoft Web site will not work on our UNIX servers. For more information on using the Bots, see the documentation provided with FrontPage or contact Microsoft Technical Support. Are all the features available in FrontPage supported? Since FrontPage was created for developing Web sites in the Windows environment, some features are only available when the site is hosted on an NT Server. Active Server Pages ODBC and MSSQL Database connections (Access, FoxPro) ActiveX VBScript SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Forms Processing (using the WebBot Save Results component)* *FrontPage sites hosted on the UNIX Servers may use SSL by sending output from forms through mailform.cgi.