Using Front Page
by
Jason Bates
The HTML editing tool that I chose to discuss is Microsoft Front Page. I am not sure how many of you create your web pages, however I normally begin with Microsoft Word, and once I have finished and saved the page, I use Microsoft Front Page to make any changes. For this activity, I have chosen to create a page (this one) with Front Page and explain to you the benefits of doing so.
The first thing I do is create a theme to my site. This is accomplished by going to the Format button on your toolbar and choosing 'theme.' When you employ a theme, you create a consistent, professional look, and also enhance the aesthetics of your pages. The themes available with FrontPage let you create pages with a playful, professional, or artistic feel. One theme, Blueprint, uses graphic elements reminiscent of a blueprint. The Expedition theme creates a site that suggests an explorer's map. The Global Marketing theme has a multinational, corporate look. I chose a Bold Stripe theme for this page. Don't worry because you can change the theme at any time, and it will not affect the content of your page.
Once you have your theme you can add text, pictures, hyperlinks, or any other graphics you may choose. Inserting text is as simple as typing in Microsoft Word. Clipart and photos add a visual dimension to your Web site. Use graphics of your own design, photos from a digital camera or scanner, or images from Clip Organizer to liven up your site. You can use Clip Organizer (click the link at the bottom of the Insert Clip Art task panel) to choose clip art or photos for your Web site from a selection of free images. To insert a picture from your computer, simply choose Insert from the toolbar, then picture from file. When you browse through your C drive and locate the file you wish to have, just click ok. As stated above, you can also copy and paste pictures from the Internet as I have below.
If you have seen this picture at your local post office, please do not be alarmed. He is not the person they are looking for and the reward is not enough to buy yourself a nice dinner anyway.
Another creative feature is a scrolling marquee. This can be used to attract your readers to a certain topic or headline. To perform this function go to Insert in the toolbar, then click on component, then click on marquee; as seen below.
Another feature of Front Page is the option to add a hit counter. This shows how many people have visited your site. To do this follow instructions for marquee but choose hit counter instead.
[Hit Counter]
You can also create a search form to let site visitors search your Web site for specific words or phrases. When site visitors enter text in the search form and click the search button, they will get a list of your Web pages with content that matches their search criteria. Microsoft FrontPage carries out the search and returns the names and locations of your Web pages that contain that text.
You can also insert tables as I will do below. To do so, go to Table in the toolbar and choose Draw Table. Next choose the properties of the table you would like.
FrontPage also has a graphics editor.
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| Select an image with your mouse by placing your mouse on top of an image and clicking on that image one time. Notice how handlebars are now surrounding that image and a toolbar becomes visible on the bottom left hand side of your screen: |
| Explore the functions of the image toolbar by saving this image of the dinosaur in the right hand cell. Next insert this image in your web page and begin exploring the editing icons on the image toolbar. |
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Read below to find out why this image is not appearing in your browser. |
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 Use
this icon to add text to a graphic. Select your graphic, then choose
this icon. A text box will appear inside of your graphic. You can use
the "Format Toolbar" to choose the font, the color of the
font, and the size of the font that you want to put in your image. You
can move the text to any place within your graphic. Click "Save"
after editing your picture.
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 Use
this icon to create a transparent background for your image. Select
your graphic, then click on this icon. Choose the color in the image
that you want to become transparent. Once it is transparent, click on
"Save." |
 Use
this icon to crop the image. Select the graphic, then click on this
crop icon. Handle bars will appear inside of the graphic. When you
have enclosed the portion of the graphic that you want, you can either
press "Enter" or you can re-click the crop
icon. This will remove the excess. Click "Save"
after you have finished editing your picture. |
 The
next three icons on the image toolbar will do one of three things:
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 These
icons will allow you to rotate or flip your image. Select your
graphic, then rotate or flip your image. Click "Save"
after you have finished editing your picture. |
 These
icons will allow you to brighten or darken your image. If you do no
like how your image appears, click on the "Reset"
icon to restore your image to the original settings. Click "Save"
after you have finished editing your picture. |
 This
icon will add beveled edges to your graphic. Select your graphic, then
click on the beveled icon in the image toolbar. Click "Save"
after you have finished editing your picture. |
 This
is the "Resample" icon. Whenever you resize
your images, either by making them bigger or smaller, you sometimes
lose clarity in your image. By clicking on the resample icon
after resizing an image, you can add crispness or clarity to your
image. WARNING: once you have chosen to resample an
image, you cannot reset your image to it's original setting. It is a
good idea to save a copy of an image before you begin resizing it. |
These are just a few of the capabilities that Front Page has. An obvious benefit is that is comes bundled in Microsoft Office and is therefore free. You can always access the Microsoft site (see, you can insert hyperlinks as well) for any free updates that may be available.
Hope this was helpful, I know it will be to me in my future endeavors.
