FrontPage hosting

usually refers to a web hosting provider that offers FrontPage extensions. This means that the web provider offers you either a dedicated server, shared web hosting or virtual private server, and then you can use your own copy of FrontPage to create your website. Following your completion of the site, you can upload your pages and files automatically through Microsoft’s FrontPage program. This eliminates the need for an FTP program or a “file manager”, which requires the uploading of every individual file.

FrontPage web hosting

is fairly common, as Microsoft FrontPage (also called Microsoft Office FrontPage) is a popular HTML editor created for novice and intermediate web designers. FrontPage is categorized as a WYSIWYG editor, meaning What You See Is What You Get. This type of web development program allows users to drag and drop pictures, type in text directly and essentially see the finished web page as they create it. Not only is FrontPage an editor, it is also a web site administration tool.

Though FrontPage may be known as a tool

for novice web designers it is actually able to support more complex applications and languages. The software has built-in features for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, an image editor, point-and-click functionality, integrated data display with Microsoft’s Access and Excel programs, ASP.NET compatibility, and Dreamweaver support.

Are there any disadvantages to using FrontPage?

Users have complained that the program occasionally generates non-validating HTML, incorrectly translates data from HTML to WYSIWYG mode and has problems with database interaction for very large websites. The program has been called “too basic” at times. Another potential issue that you should explore involves FrontPage extensions. Web servers must have these components installed in order for the program to be compatible. However, some web providers believe these extensions to be too risky to install because of various security issues.

The first release of FrontPage

was the Vermeer FrontPage 1.0, followed by updated versions in 1995 and 1997’s FrontPage Express. More versions followed in 1998 (including FrontPage for Macintosh), 1999 and 2001. The latest release of Microsoft Office FrontPage is for 2003 and is labeled as version 11. This release has not been included in any of the MS Office editions but has been sold as a separate product.

If you are thinking about using FrontPage hosting

for your website then you may be making the best decision, especially if you have limited knowledge of HTML.