WD97: Differences Between Word and FrontPage for Web Authoring

SUMMARY

Web page authoring tools are provided with Microsoft Word and with other Microsoft Office programs to enable you to easily create various types of Web pages. Another Microsoft program, called FrontPage, also helps you create various types of Web pages by using an interface similar to other Office programs. FrontPage also helps you to manage a Web site.

To create Web pages, you can use the Web page authoring tools in Microsoft Word, Microsoft FrontPage, or both. Both programs provide wizards to automate your work, and both enable you to view your Web page content, such as bullets and images, as you work. There are some purposes, however, for which one program is better suited.

Use Web page authoring tools in Microsoft Word when:

• You want to use the robust word-processing features in Word, such as automatic spelling checking, AutoText, and AutoCorrect.
• Other Web page authors whom you work with frequently use Word.
• You have customized Word features, such as AutoText, custom dictionaries, and AutoCorrect entries, that you want to use when creating Web pages.

Use FrontPage when:

• You want to use A WebBot component to insert scripts and form elements, such as server includes and time stamps. A WebBot component enables the Web page designer to quickly add sophisticated interactive functions, such as search tools or timestamps.
• You are working with a large team or managing a Web server.
• You need user authentication for Web page authors.

NOTE: In Microsoft FrontPage Explorer, you can specify Word as your default editor for HTML files. See FrontPage documentation for more information.