Expression Web Forum

Corey Bryant:

You are much better off creating a new website with cleaner code.

I assume it's just a matter of time before web hosting companies will be notifying us FP users that they will be disabling FP Extensions on their servers. The Extensions have always been a contention with my host's. With this being said, some of my sites, being small, creating the site "clean" won't be a problem. The larger ones however is another matter.

Please give some ways to "convert" FP sites to EW sites, pro's v/s con's, etc.

Also, when I open a site in EW that was created in FP, what tells me that when FP Extentions are turned off the site will still function properly?

Old Hippie:

Please give some ways to "convert" FP sites to EW sites, pro's v/s con's, etc.

Also, when I open a site in EW that was created in FP, what tells me that when FP Extentions are turned off the site will still function properly?

Welcome to the forum from one "Old Hippie" to another!

In reality there isn't a way (that I am aware of) that you can automatically convert an existing site from FrontPage to Expression. All I do is to open a site in Expression (that part works the same as FrontPage) and then start to work. Sometimes creating new pages is less work than it is to take existing pages that were done in FrontPage and fix all of the non-standards code that FrontPage generates. There are report features in Expression that will point out where some coding problems are..and you can manually fix those.

The FrontPage extensions being turned on or off..will effect only those features that require the extensions (guest books, discussion webs, hit counters, etc.) Whether you use FrontPage or Expression doesn't change much in knowing if the extensions are on or off.

Here's lots more info. on the extensions:

http://expression-frontpage.com/forums/p/114/363.aspx#363

One way to see if the extensions are installed is to look here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;828909&Product=fp2003

Keep on Truckin'

Joe R:

Here's lots more info. on the extensions:

http://expression-frontpage.com/forums/p/114/363.aspx#363

WOOOH! I had forgot just how many things that are under FP Server Extensions control. I don't know if this is going to be a blessing or not.

The list of features under extensions control is extremely helpful, Joe, thanks.

Mine is a bigger site, 80 pages or so and a lot of audio files. Fortunately I'm not using many of the features on the list so rather than start fresh with EW my plan is to re-do only those features that need it to be free of the need for extensions. For example, my buttons show a dot when clicked, I think they called that an animation feature in FP. I will replace those with regular buttons.

I will do a fresh start with EW one day but am glad I won't need to do it all at once or soon considering how much work will be involved.

I've done two CD-based sites for my day job and both produce the ActiveX warning when the discs are inserted. I suspect the buttons are part of that and would rather find a way to eliminate any ActiveX in my "design." (Using quotes thanks to distinction mentioned above regarding design vs. whatever)

 FWIW a local designer called mine the best FP site he had ever seen. I was surprised but naturally pleased. If any such praise is deserved I believe it's from paying strict attention to the "less is more" philosophy of Vincent Flanders and www.webpagesthatsuch.com. If you're curious, here it is. www.tedknight.com

tedk1:

The list of features under extensions control is extremely helpful, Joe, thanks.

Mine is a bigger site, 80 pages or so and a lot of audio files. Fortunately I'm not using many of the features on the list so rather than start fresh with EW my plan is to re-do only those features that need it to be free of the need for extensions. For example, my buttons show a dot when clicked, I think they called that an animation feature in FP. I will replace those with regular buttons.

I will do a fresh start with EW one day but am glad I won't need to do it all at once or soon considering how much work will be involved.

I've done two CD-based sites for my day job and both produce the ActiveX warning when the discs are inserted. I suspect the buttons are part of that and would rather find a way to eliminate any ActiveX in my "design." (Using quotes thanks to distinction mentioned above regarding design vs. whatever)

 FWIW a local designer called mine the best FP site he had ever seen. I was surprised but naturally pleased. If any such praise is deserved I believe it's from paying strict attention to the "less is more" philosophy of Vincent Flanders and www.webpagesthatsuch.com. If you're curious, here it is. www.tedknight.com

Hi Ted,

One of the really nice things about Expression is that you can choose to use it when and where you want. It isn't like an upgrade where it overwrites the prior version..and then you are forced to use it exclusively. FrontPage and Expression can co-exist very nicely together.

I couldn't agree more about your comment of "less is more" In the end content is King! While there needs to be some coloring and contrasting done to sites..many people can really overdo it. They have lots of Flash animations, scrolling text and animated gifs., too many colors, no overall consistency from page to page, etc. Those don't add to a site..they detract from it. People visit sites for information..and while a pleasant format helps..an overdone format hurts.

I think what you will find as you work more with Expression..is that it helps you a lot with the formatting issues. In FrontPage people would tend to use deprecated <font> tags everywhere. As you work with Expression you will see that you declare fonts as styles..rather than creating lots of individual tags everywhere..this is a good thing..and really allows you to show your content in an easily read manner.

I bit the bullet. Despite having a big FP site that works, I'm starting over with EW and have a first draft of a home page called home.dtw (I think that's the extension)

default.htm also exists but is full of dummy text, and there is another .dtw page called master.dtw (I think - I'm at a different desk at the moment). Do I need to delete one or both of these so browsers will correctly concentrate on home.dtw, or is there a different step I will need to take. I'm used to index.htm from FP so please tell me what I will need to do.

Meanwhile...Rome wasn't built in a day. I will continue to update and tweak my existing FP site until the new EW site is ready to publish. I'd like to re-order the buttons on my left shared border. Could have sworn navigation view (the way I was used to changing the sites calling up buttons) came over from FP to EW but now I can't find it.

General observation: EW Help file is unfriendly with legacy terms like "shared border." I suspect there is an online resource to supplement the skimpy or non-existent Helpfile references to FP terminology - can you help.

Joe - got my image up as you can see - your directions were painless. When all else fails, follow the directions LOL>

Hi Ted,

Good job with the pic! (However as is always the case..at least with me...reading instructions is definitely a last resort!

OK you are probably referring to files that end with the extension of .dwt.rather than .dtw These are definitely not your home page though (although you may end up using one to help you create a home page. In the end your home page will still be something familiar like default.htm or index.htm, or similar..exactly the same way you do it with FrontPage today as far as naming. What a .dwt page is is what is called a "Dynamic Web Template" these are files that you use to create a consistent look for multiple pages in your site. They are an excellent tool once you become familiar with how to create and use them. They were available in FrontPage 2003..but there were many more problems with using them..then there appears to be in Expression. I think you will love using them for a large site especially as it makes updates to be so much easier.

Here's a tutorial that might help you:

http://www.expression-web-designer-help.com/dwt/DWT_Tutorial.htm

As a very simple explanation..a .dwt will have two areas to it..editable and non-editable regions. In the non-editable regions you would put things that you want to always be the same on each page..maybe things like banners or navigation buttons. The editable region would be used for areas that would be different on each page...like text and pictures. So you create a dwt..defining those areas. When you are done..you then attach that .dwt to a new blank page. That brings over all the formatting you have into that page. You can then do what you want in the area of the new page that is "editable" but you won't be able to change anything in the area that is non-editable. You repeat the process again and again for as many pages you wish to create. Where the real power comes in when you want to change or add something in the non-editable regions. While you can't do that in the individual pages it doesn't matter..all you need to do is to go back and open up the .dwt page you used..make the change to the non-editable region there..and save,,,all pages that you attached the .dwt tot will then be updated to that change! Very powerful!

You can also make and use multiple .dwt's as well..you are not limited to only one type.

Unfortunately Expression does Not have the familiar navigation view of FrontPage. Many people miss that feature (Including me) that is the one thing I still use FrontPage for..so don't forget you can still open your site in FrontPage if you wish to use Nav View for something.

I do websites for the local table tennis club and association. www.RugbyTableTennisClub.net & www.wtta.org.uk and a few others.

I started off several years ago using Publisher but nothing seemed to be stay it was 'designed" to be and changed to FP.

I've now "taken the plunge" and bought Expression Web to work with and move away from the no-longer evolving FP2003.

It all seems a bit mind boggling!

I had (wrongly) imagined that EW would open FP pages "correctly". Upon opening a FP created .dwt it became clear this was not going to be the case. The narrow left hand column containing interactive buttons expanded to take up half the width of the page! 

It looks like I will have to recreate the .dwt's in EW and go from there or is there a workaround for this? or can anyone spot my .dwt errors in FP that cause this?

Fortunately I don't think that I have any FP extensions on the sites.

Anyway, my first question is this; what is the best way of opening in EW a FP site that I have on my PC?
or would it be better to ftp the site into EW?

Secondly what is the best way to save any pages that I edit in EW?  Overwriting the old FP ones in the old folders perhaps? As I understand it these can still be opened by FP even after using EW.

Hi Charlie,

Welcome to the forums!

If you already have a copy of your web on your PC...then there is no real need to ftp another copy of it to your PC again. (Unless you would simply feel more comfortable as having an extra measure of another backup or maybe if you feel you are going to make so many changes that you might hose the first copy) In theory you can open the same one copy of your web with either FrontPage or Expression at different times. So opening and then saving files in either application is OK.

One very major change between FrontPage and Expression is in the way .css is used and the way it shows in Expression. FrontPage was very weak in the way it handled .css it was extremely cumbersome to use and see the effects in FrontPage. Expression is much stronger in that regards...it actually is stronger in the way it supports .dwt's as well. A couple reasons why your dwt's's might look a little different in Expression can be because of .css being used in them...and the other might be because you have less space in editing view when all of the tool palettes are open in Expression.

Newb here in rainy Seattle ;)

Glad to have found this forum.  I too am just getting started with converting from Frontpage to Expression and my knowledge of this stuff is not very high.

I'm trying to figure out how TED was able to open his frontpage site in expression and just make a few changes and publish!  That sounds like a dream come true!  I thought there may be some conversions necessary to get the web site opened for the first time, but as I'm reading on here it appears not to be the case...  I am unable to open my current web site in Expression and I thought it may have been due to the front page extensions.     When I go to open my web site, I'm getting the message below and its not even giving me the opportunity to input my server id and password:

Unable to open website.  Possible causes:

1. The web site may not have the front page server extentions installed.

2. The web server may be temporarily out of service

3.  If you connecting through a proxy server, your settings may be incorrect...

4. An error may have occurred on the web server.

 Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel