Scripting, DHTML, and Dynamic Content

In addition to the built-in handling of forms examined previously, FrontPage provides a number of tools integrated in to FrontPage 2003 that enable the rapid development (and management) of dynamic content elements.

Dynamic Web Templates

New to FrontPage 2003 are Dynamic Web Templates. This powerful new feature allows you to create multiple pages in the same site that have the same layout, look, and feel but enable the user to prevent certain regions of the page from being edited.

Users can make any page in their site a Dynamic Web Template and use the technology to enlist project help that might have shied away from Web development because of their fear of making disastrous layout mistakes.

For more on the use of Dynamic Web Templates and their implementation, see "Dynamic Web Templates," p. 411.

Adding Dynamic Elements to Your Site

DHTML (Dynamic HTML) has added numerous stylish options to the Web design process. Whereas you can use FrontPage 2003 to code the DHTML behind collapsible outlines, page transitions, and layers, FrontPage provides the tools to build these elements directly in to your site.

As an example, Figure 2.21 shows a check box in the List Properties dialog box that results in a DHTML collapsible outline without a single line of code being written by the developer.

Figure 2.21. When possible, FrontPage 2003 integrates DHTML options directly in to the design interface.

For additional information on adding dynamic elements to your site and how FrontPage adds them easily, see "Making Your Pages and Sites More Dynamic," p. 425.

Interactive Buttons

Another exiting addition to the FrontPage 2003 is the addition of Interactive Buttons. Interactive Buttons are a Web component that adds a traditional (and attractive) mouseover button to your Web design. Unlike the "hover buttons" in previous versions of FrontPage that used Java to produce the effect, the new Interactive Buttons use JScript (created on-the-fly by FrontPage 2003) and work considerably better.

TIP

If you are using the older hover buttons on any of your Web sites, do yourself and your site visitors a favor and redo them with FrontPage Interactive Buttons.

FrontPage 2003 holds the button content as metadata allowing the developer to quickly edit a button without having to reproduce the three different button elements each time an edit is required.

Figure 2.22 shows the Interactive Buttons dialog box. By simply double-clicking the button in Design view, the user can edit the text of the button right in FrontPage.

Figure 2.22. The Interactive Buttons tools makes the production of mouseover buttons considerably easier.

For more on FrontPage's new Interactive Button feature, see "Using Interactive Buttons," p. 441.

Behaviors

Behaviors, new to FrontPage 2003, are small scripts elements that give you the ability to quickly (and easily) add functional elements to your Web page. Behaviors will write the necessary scripting to your page with the click of a button. In Figure 2.23, the Check Browser behavior is used to direct the user to a specific page based on browser type.

Figure 2.23. Behavior checks the browser type and sends them to the appropriate page.

For more on using behaviors and the ones that come with FrontPage 2003, see "Using Behaviors," p. 449.

Client-Side Scripting

Because FrontPage 2003 handles all code types through the Code view, the design and implementation of client-side scripting directly through the FrontPage interface is supported. There is no need to use a third-party product to develop such solutions, and all scripting languages are supported not just Microsoft-specific languages.

For more on how FrontPage handles client-side scripting and suggestions on how to maximize the technology, see "Client-side Scripting," p. 475.

For a detailed look on the coding tools provided with FrontPage 2003, see "Working with Code," p. 517.

Design-Time Layers

CSS and modern design elements utilize design-time layers in the Web design process. FrontPage 2003 not only supports design-time layers, but also provides a set of tools to implement them quickly and easily in the design process.

For a detailed look at design-time layers, see "Using Layers," p. 499.