Microsoft Web Page Builder

Microsoft Web Page Builder History

For years, Microsoft FrontPage was Microsoft's primary web page builder. It was an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) software tool, designed to be easy-to-learn and moderately functional. However, Microsoft's product line in the field of web page builders did not end with FrontPage. The next generation of Microsoft web page builders included Sharepoint and Expression Web.

Microsoft FrontPage

With Microsoft FrontPage, anyone, regardless of programming skills, could design simple HTML websites. This simple web page builder software opened up an exciting new world for small business owners, small organizations, and others who might have otherwise felt intimidated by the idea of designing their own web page. FrontPage was one of the first available tools that changed that perception.

Microsoft offered Frontpage in 1997. It was discontinued in 2006. At that point it was replaced by two new platforms, Sharepoint and Expression Web. Microsoft developed FrontPage to be an easy and efficient design tool for basic web design. It targeted the novice web designer market, but Microsoft also tried to include features preferred by serious professionals. As a web design platform, its primary appeal was its ease of use. The software provided a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop options. This design made it extremely easy for non-programmers to use the software to construct simple HTML pages. Once Dreamweaver entered the WSIWYG web design market, Microsoft recognized that a new product was necessary in order to compete.

Sharepoint

Once Microsoft discontinued FrontPage, they brought two new versions of the Microsoft web page builder to the public – Sharepoint and Expression Web. Sharepoint is essentially the next generation of FrontPage. Expression Web, which shares much of the same technology as Sharepoint, is geared more towards professional web designers, similar to Dreamweaver. While both platforms are offshoots of FrontPage, they each have some unique features.

Sharepoint is more comprehensive in that it can be used for businesses and engineers alike, within the same environment. Engineers can use the technology of Sharepoint to track bugs in website code, which helps to make the website design more workable, user-friendly and WC3 compatible. Marketing departments can use the technology to track budgets, create marketing strategies and conduct invoicing.

Expression Web

Expression Web is aimed primarily at professional web designers. It was developed specifically with designers working with ASP.NET and PHP in mind. It can also be used for the following applications:

• CSS
• XHTML
• HTML
• XML
• XSLT

Expression Web is especially useful as a design tool in light of the development of Web 2.0 in recent years. It is a user-friendly interface for the professional designer. Since it is aimed at competing in the same market as Dreamweaver, it offers many of the same features.

Where to Find More Information

A number of websites provide more information about Microsoft web page builders. Microsoft’s own product site has a lot of information on each of these products, as well as download links. There is also a free demo version of both Sharepoint and Expression Web for anyone interested in testing these applications. Other sources for more information include:

• Download.com
• ZDNet.com
• Internet.com

As the Internet expands and grows, the need for user-friendly and comprehensive web design software also grows, and Microsoft will always seek to remain competitive in that marketplace by developing newer and more effective technologies.