Notes from 49th International STC Conference
Nashville, Tennessee, May 5-8, 2002

Analysis of Web Authoring Programs

Linda Wokosin
Citizens First Credit Union

Linda Wokosin, with Citizens First Credit Union, is a senior member of the STC and a veteran Web site designer.

Session Description: This session compared FrontPage, Net Objects Fusion, and Dreamweaver in terms of their suitability for use in Web authoring by beginning and advanced users.

Slides: Available at STC's Conference Web site

Note: The author published two papers in the Proceedings to this conference. For an electronic copy or a hard copy (depending on availability), contact Dan Voss.

FrontPage

• Advantages
   
• Comes packaged with Microsoft Office.
• Highly automated, which is very helpful to beginning users.
• Contains wizards that make it easy to build a page rapidly. Links are automatically established by the wizard.
• After processing initial input, wizard puts out a list of tasks that must be completed before the page can be published.
• Navigation View shows the Web site plan with the flow.
• Standard border and logo appear on all pages (similar to PowerPoint templates for presentations).
• Inserting hyperlinks is easy; it can be done simply with a right mouse click.
• "Include Page" feature makes it easy to import a segment of material all the way through the site.
• Disadvantages
   
• All-or-nothing aspects of format adjustments (although you can override that and specify "Current Page Only").
• Images must be imported into FrontPage (creating an image directory) before they can be incorporated on a page; you cannot import them from an outside source. FrontPage cannot navigate outside the site and find them.
• A major problem is that the FrontPage server extensions (which, while free, must be acquired, installed into the server, and configured) are essential before you can post FrontPage-produced Web pages on the server.
• FrontPage Web sites are heavily stylized, with standard formats, and therefore easily recognized. They do not look original.
• You can edit the HTML that FrontPage creates, but FrontPage changes it back! This greatly limits the ability to tailor FrontPage to specific situations. It will not handle JavaScript (which is made by Netscape).
• Advanced Features
   
• Tables work just like Word, except you cannot automatically adjust the cell size by pulling on the borders.
• E-mail addresses can be added, but are limited in number. The FrontPage mail system is not dependent on client mail systems such as Outlook, which avoids error messages.
• Info can be entered into forms easily.
• Hover buttons (these increase download time, however)
• Visit counter
• Marquées
• Can supposedly insert databases, but the feature doesn't work!

Net Objects Fusion

• Advantages
   
• Cheap: $49
• Does not rely on server extensions
• Also has several wizards
• Has styles
• Works like a desktop publishing application
• Disadvantages
   
• User can only work on one page at a time.
• You can add new HTML code but you cannot edit existing code, nor can you change new code once it is added.
• Compresses all objects into .nod. And you can't view the sub .nod files, which makes it very difficult to finalize a draft. You are forced to publish the page, view the code, copy it, edit it, and then go back and revise the original source code. Very circuitous.
• You cannot bookmark Frames.

Dreamweaver

• Advantages
   
• Much greater overall capability and flexibility than the other two
• Easy to use; user-friendly
• Intuitive menu-driven insertion of graphics and other objects
• Automatic linking (just be sure to include the "http")
• Automatic "hot-spot" generation (simple version of image mapping)
• You can publish through Dreamweaver or upload the files through FTP.
• Notes capability
• Caching speeds updates.
• Library is like the "Include Page" function in FrontPage. Such items can be included throughout the site; they can only be edited within the library.
• Tables can be built easily, and the cells can be stretched (unlike FrontPage).
• Rollover images are easy to incorporate.
• Accommodates layering and timelines, which supports progressive disclosure.
• Allows HTML source editing and does not change it.
• Disadvantages
   
• Floating toolbars are a challenge.
• Requires cgi for forms (FrontPage doesn't, so you can use them in combination, but you must then load your server with the FrontPage extensions).


A work-around is to work in FrontPage, copy out the code, and upload it into Dreamweaver, with no link to FrontPage. (If you do this, you will need scripting for the forms function.)
• No wizards – everything must be generated. This is also an advantage, however, because it adds flexibility and tailorability. Many templates are available also, which can take out much of the drudgery.