Technology Serving Learning Institute Winter 2008 | Rodgers' Sessions | CSTL | Southeast Missouri State University

SharePoint Designer for FrontPage Users
Tuesday, January 08, 2008 from 08:30 AM to 11:30 AM (Kent Library Little Theater)

Facilitators: Dr. Mike Rodgers and Dr. Kevin Dickson

Description: A second workshop has been opened to accommodate the growing interest in SharePoint. SharePoint Designer is part of the next generation of Microsoft web design software. In this workshop, we will discuss both the differences and the similarities between FrontPage and SharePoint Designer 2007.

The Days of FrontPage are Numbered The days are numbered!

“After nine years of being an award-winning Web authoring tool, FrontPage [was] discontinued in late 2006. We will continue to serve the diverse needs of our existing FrontPage customers with the introduction of two brand-new application building and Web authoring tools using the latest technologies: Office SharePoint Designer 2007 for the enterprise information workers and Expression Web for the professional Web designer.”

Frontpage ® SharePoint Designer + Expression Web

Select SharePoint Designer (SPD) if you are upgrading from FrontPage:

  • Familiarity: SharePoint Designer is much closer to FrontPage than Expression Web
  • Availability: Our Microsoft Campus Agreement offers SharePoint Designer, but not Expression Web
  • Suitability: SharePoint Designer built for simple Web page development; Expression Web for professional Website development

What is SharePoint Designer?

  • Part of the Microsoft Office 2007 suite of applications
  • Based on Microsoft FrontPage
  • Provides document creation and management for SharePoint users
  • Compatible with current FrontPage web sites

Feature Comparison:

Feature

FrontPage

SharePoint Designer

Expression Web

Web Components

ü

ü

 

Themes

ü

 

 

Shared Borders

ü

 

 

Database

ü

ü

 

Marquee

ü

ü

 

Hover Buttons

ü

ü

ü

Hit Counter

ü

ü

 

Navigation Bars

ü

ü

 

Insert Maps

ü

ü

 

Clean HTML

 

ü

ü

Reasons to Switch:

  1. Better HTML code
  2. Better look and feel (interface)
  3. Better CSS support
  4. Better support for other Office documents
  5. Move into the pipeline for future enhancements
  6. It is available on request for your office computer
  7. Because Microsoft says so!

Not Ready to Switch? (Let not your heart be troubled!)

  • FrontPage XP and FrontPage 2003 will still be supported by the CSTL 
  • FrontPage 2003 still supported by Microsoft as a “mainstream” product until January 2009 (FP 2002 discontinued in 2006)
  • Microsoft will support the FrontPage line of products until 2014, when extended support ends
  • Existing FP-generated Web pages are fully compatible with SPD - no changes required!

Useful Links:

Changes in SharePoint Designer 2007
 How to send form results to multiple e-mail addresses in FrontPage 2003 and in SharePoint Designer 2007
From FrontPage to Expression Web (not really SharePoint Designer, but close)
The Future of FrontPage According to Microsoft
CSTL's FrontPage FAQ

Using Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007 - what you will notice magnifying glass

Terminology changes

  1. Design (was "Normal" in FP)
  2. Open Site
  3. Create a New Page

Task: Open a Site and create a new page. Type in some text, just to have something on the page.

Relocations

  1. Differences in the Insert Menu
    1. Horizontal line
  2. Reports - in Web Site

Task: Add a horizontal line to the page, and create a hyperlink. Give the page a name and save it. Then look at Reports to gain a sense of the information available there.

Renovations

  1. Viewing pages - FP's Preview is gone; now use File > Preview in Browser

Task: View the page that you saved in the previous Task.

  1. Inserting Hover Buttons and Banners - Java applets are blocked, so FP Banner Ad Manager no longer works. Use the Interactive Button instead:

Task: Insert an interactive button on the page, link it to http://cstl.semo.edu/institute/2008Winter/MLR/index.htm, and test the button

  1. Working With Forms - new drag & drop interface for all form controls placed in Insert > HTML   (Alternate: Formserver)

Task: Create a form on a page, then do the following

  1.  add a Text field and a Submit button.

  2. Name the text field "SPD Comments".

  3. Set the Form properties to save a .csv file to the _private folder in your Site.

  4. Save the page that contains the form.

  5. Open the page in a browser, place a comment in the "SPD Comments" field, and submit the form.

  6. From the Folder List, right-click on the .csv file and select Open With > Microsoft Office Excel

  7. Check to see that the .csv file contains the comment that you typed in the form.

  1. Changing Font Properties (cleaner, easier to manage code)

Task: Click to get info on styles and an activity

New Features

  1. Split and Code
  2. Website Backup (Personal Web Package)

Task: Produce a .fwp file of a part of your current Site, and explore how to retrieve the data

  1. Dynamic Web Templates

Task: Click to get info and an activity

Complete session evaluation
© Copyright 2008, Southeast Missouri State University
Comments, suggestions, and questions regarding this site? E-mail Michael L. Rodgers at mrodgers@semo.edu
Last Updated: 01/07/08                Disclaimer