Matt makes peace with Microsoft FrontPage. Back when I was an HTML newbie, I discovered the first version of Microsoft’s FrontPage and was amazed by all the tricks it could do to help you automate the creation and management of an entire site design. Then I learned how to use server-side includes, PERL, and PHP, and realized I could do so much more when I did it myself by hand. Add to that what a mangle FrontPage makes of your HTML code, and I vowed to never use it again.

Now I’m developing the website for our Residential Living department and I have to use FrontPage to take advantage of our new campus Microsoft web server and to ensure that people will be able to easily update the site after I leave Truman. And you know what? FrontPage 2000 isn’t the spawn of Satan that I remember. I’ve even been able to easily go in and add my own little bits of HTML code.

I’m actually excited by some of the features promised in the upcoming FrontPage 2002: tabs for multiple open documents, Usage Analysis Reports, automated survey creation, and improved HTML, CSS , and XML formatting.

I’d welcome any and all feedback on our new website.