Chapter 6 - FrontPage

6.1 General Overview

According to Microsoft's documentation for FrontPage Web Presence Providers, "Installing the FrontPage Server Extensions gives your customers full support for all of the features of FrontPage. This    includes remote authoring, threaded discussion groups, full-text search, and surveys."

Server Extensions

FrontPage Extensions are CGI programs which provide the server side implementation of FrontPage. FrontPage communicates with the extensions via HTTP using a Remote Procedure Call (RPC). When the server sees the "POST" request addressed to the FrontPage server extensions it simply directs the request to the appropriate CGI program. The extensions implement authoring (uploading/downloading documents, ToDo Lists), administration (setting end-user, author, and administrator privileges), and dynamic content (browse-time WebBot components).

Without the FrontPage Server Extensions you will not be able to take advantage of the WebBots that are available through FrontPage. Also, without the extensions you cannot author and administer your web using the tools provided as part of the FrontPage Editor/Explorer package.

What we mean by "We Support FrontPage."

• We configure your website for FrontPage by installing and maintaining the server extension.
• We provide Technical Support related to the functionality of the extensions. e.g. the server extension is corrupted and needs to be reinstalled.
• We point you to resources that will help you solve problems, publish your FrontPage webs and learn techniques for getting the most from your FrontPage software.

6.2 Installing Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000, 98 Extensions

New Accounts

Check "Yes" to "Enable FrontPage Extension" option in our order form. Or indicate that you want the FrontPage Server Extension installed on your site.

Existing Accounts

Send an email request to support@globeint.com with the following information:

• Your domain name
• Your GlobeInt.com customer ID
• Your request for FrontPage extensions.
• Confirmation that you have back-up of any web pages currently on the site.
  (In most cases it is not necessary to delete files currently on the site to install the extensions. However, if there are directories or files with special permissions (.htaccess) these will have to be removed. You can then re-establish permissions and password protection via the FrontPage Explorer.)

On existing sites, the installation will generally be done within 24 hours.

6.3 Limitations on using Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000, 98

There are some issues which potential FrontPage users should consider:

• Web size -- This seems to be most critical when a "searchable event" is present in the web (Search, Discussion Forum and Table of Contents). The lengthy process of updating the indices for these functions can lead to the connection timing-out (HTTP 500 Error or "Server "" has timed-out"). You will experience server time outs while recalculating links as well.
• Number of files -- Websites with a large number files will experience similar problems as above.

  Work Around: You should divide your web site into smaller chunks - child webs.  This way FrontPage only recognizes a portion of your Web site at at time.  Draw back to this solution is that you have to close the current child web if you wish to work on files that reside in another child web. More detail.

• Disk Usage -- You may create and publish as many child webs as your disk storage space allows. However, for each child web you publish, FrontPage duplicates certain information into indices and hidden files. This adds "overhead", increasing the storage space required for your files. Microsoft's documentation notes, "FrontPage 97's optional full-text search indexes can take up to the same amount of disk space as your textual content.
• PRECAUTIONS -- There are several precautions which need to be taken to protect the FrontPage extensions on your site if it is housed on the UNIX servers:
  • Do NOT use regular FTP (such as WS_FTP) to upload files to the server when FrontPage extensions are installed. This may corrupt the extensions, disabling the interactive features available with FrontPage.

    Exception to the Above Rule:

    1. If you are uploading cgi scripts, you have to use FTP program to upload your scripts, but you can ONLY FTP safely to cgi-bin. Special precautions must be taken when adding custom scripts to a FrontPage web. Scripts cannot be added through the "Publish" web function as part of the FP web because FrontPage does not transfer files in true ASCII.
       • Using WS_FTP, go DIRECTLY to the cgi-bin directory, transfer the file in ASCII, then right click on the ftp window.
       • From the pop-up menu, select FTP commands, SITE.
       • Then enter the command CHMOD 755 <file_name>.This will properly upload and set permissions for the script.
    2. You can safely FTP to your /home directory or directories outside of your /www directory
    3. You can safely FTP subdirectory within your /www directory. BUT you must have created the subdirectory using either your FTP program or via Telnet. This will not work if you created the subdirectory using FrontPage Explorer.

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6.4 Bots and Features

WebBots are the mechanism for invoking many of the interactive features built into Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000, 98. These features are added to your web through the FrontPage Editor | Insert FrontPage Component

Some, such as include and Substitution allow elements of the web to be entered once and included in any or all of the pages by inserting the Bot component referencing that element (e.g. a logo or navigation bar). Changes made to the "master" element are made automatically to any page containing the referencing Bot.

Other Bots, such as Search, Table of Contents and Timestamp, control dynamic browse-time features. These Bots work behind the scenes to keep the web up-to-date for visitors.

For more information on using the Bots, see the documentation provided with FrontPage or contact Microsoft Technical Support.

Features

Since FrontPage was created for developing web-sites in the Windows environment, some features are not available when the site is hosted on our UNIX servers.

·  Active Server Pages

·  ODBC and MS SQL Database connections (Access, FoxPro)

·  ActiveX

·  VBScript

·  SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Forms Processing (using the WebBot Save Results component)

6.4.1 Using SSL with Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000, 98

For information on adding secure references to your web pages see GlobeInt.com's online manual on invoking secure transactions.

Note that only scripts in cgi-bin will be recognized by SSL
(_vti_bin/shtml.exe which FrontPage configures will not work securely)

NOTE: The WebBot Save Results Component configuration in the FrontPage Form Handler Properties cannot be used in conjunction with SSL. Output from the form must be routed through the cgiemail script in GlobeInt.com's cgi-bin.

(This is only temporary until Stronghold and Microsoft resolve this conflict)

For information on adding secure references to your web pages see GlobeInt.com's online manual.

6.4.2 Password Protecting Web Directories

To password protect your website using Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000, 98...

1) Open the remote web in FrontPage Explorer

2) Select Tools | Permissions

3) Select the radio button for Unique permissions, click Apply

4) Select Users tab, select radio button for the level of permissions you

are setting and Apply, then Add, Edit or Remove. If you choose Add, Choose

the level of access you want the individual to have, add their user name and

password and click OK.

NOTE: This does not change the permissions for the web locally, that must be

done while connected to the PWS on your local machine.

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To password protect a subfolder within your website.

To password protect a portion of your site using FrontPage98 it must be made

into a childweb and have permissions set separately from the <root web>. To

make a subdirectory (folder) into a childweb:

1) Open FrontPage Explorer

2) Select File | New-> FrontPage Web

3) Choose "Empty Web" from the selection list

4) For Name of New FrontPage Web type the EXACT NAME of the sub-directory

and click ok.

The directory and all enclosed files will become a "childweb" which may then

be open, published, edited and/or removed without affecting the rest of the

webs on your site. You can also set unique permissions in this childweb.

This can be done on either the local or remote servers.

To set or change Permissions:

1) Open the remote web in FrontPage Explorer

2) Select Tools | Permissions

3) Select the radio button for Unique permissions, click Apply

4) Select Users tab, select radio button for the level of permissions you

are setting and Apply, then Add, Edit or Remove. If you choose Add, Choose

the level of access you want the individual to have, add their user name and

password and click OK.

NOTE: You cannot do this locally and upload. You have to be connected to our server directly using your FrontPage Explorer. Here is how.

1)Open FrontPage Explorer

2)Select File | Open FrontPage Web..

3)Choose "Open an existing FrontPage web"

4)Choose <Root Web> Make sure it is your domain name or IP address.

5)Click "OK"

6)Follow onscreen instructions

6.4.3 Forms that send results via email

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft® FrontPage® 98 for Windows
• Microsoft® FrontPage® 97 for Windows with Bonus Pack
• Microsoft® FrontPage® for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1
• Microsoft® FrontPage® for the Power Macintosh, version 1.0

SUMMARY

This article describes how to set up a FrontPage form to submit form results as an e-mail attachment rather than saving the results in a file. Note that some browsers may not support the mailto Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

NOTES:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer, versions 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 do not support the inclusion of form output to a mailto URL.
• Posting results by e-mail will work only if the client has a Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) compliant e-mail system.

MORE INFORMATION

FrontPage 98

To set up a form to submit results as an e-mail attachment, follow these steps:

1. In FrontPage Editor, create a form.
2. Right-click any object in the form, and then click Form Properties on the menu that appears. The form will be outlined by a dashed box.
3. In the Email Address box, type the e-mail address of the recipient.
4. Click OK.

NOTE: If the FrontPage Server Extensions are not configured to send a form in e-mail format, the following message will appear:

     The FrontPage Server Extensions have not been configured to

     send e-mail. Please direct your system administrator or

     Internet Service Provider to follow the instructions at

     'Setting Up Your E-mail Transport' in the \SERK\enu\admin.htm

     file on the FrontPage CD-ROM.

     Would you like to remove the e-mail recipient?

In this case, click Yes and contact the server administrator for help setting up the extensions to send e-mail.

All other versions of FrontPage

To set up a form to submit results as an e-mail attachment, follow these steps:

1. In FrontPage Editor, create a form.
2. Right-click any object in the form, and then click Properties on the menu that appears. The form will be outlined by a dashed box.
3. Click Form.
4. In the Form Handler list, select Custom CGI Script and then click Settings.
5. In the Action box, type the following, replacing everything after "mailto:" with the actual e-mail address you want to use:

      mailto:example@microsoft.com

6. In the Method box, type or select Post, and then click OK.
7. Click OK twice.

When your form is submitted, your e-mail program will start and open a New Message window. The form will be sent as a text attachment if the sender's e-mail system and Web browser support this type of action. If the sender's Web browser does not support the mailto URL, the sender can insert the text and manually send the message.

6.5 Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000, 98 Troubleshooting Guide

6.5.1 Root Web Busy

FTP or Telnet into your account.  Go to your root web directory (/www/yourdomain/) Go to _vti_pvt/  Remove "service.lck" file.  This usually happens when FrontPage session is interrupted before completion.

6.5.2 Microsoft® FrontPage® 2000, 98 extensions not installed.

FrontPage extensions are easily corrupted. If you get this error even though you know the extensions are installed, there is a good chance that your extensions are corrupted.  We would need to reinstall the extensions.  Please contact our support team to accomplish this.

Warning: You will lose your themes and shared borders when the extensions are reinstalled.  So you would need to make sure your local copy of the web is current and once you receive a notice from our support team that the extensions have been reinstalled, upload your website again.

6.5.3 I published my web but nothing shows up.

The most common cause of this is when you publish to a subdirectory of your root web directory.  You probably filled in the "Destination Web Name" box.  It should be left blank. 

6.5.4 Counter, guestbook, bbs aren't working.

The problem is generally due to incorrect permission settings on the directory, files, or the scripts.  Please do not change permission settings unless you have a specific reason for doing so.

6.5.5 Search function doesn't return any results.

Your root web directory must be world readable and you need to recalculate links before publishing (or after editing directly on the server).  If it still doesn't work, ftp to your account and goto the /www/_vti_txt/default.wti directory.  Delete any files that begin with "ALL".  Don't delete any other files.  Then using Windows Explorer, do the same thing on the your PC.  Recalculate links, test locally with your browser and publish. 

6.5.6 FP asks for host server and the directory path.

Please contact support to have the FP extensions reinstalled.  FrontPage extensions are easily corrupted. If you get this error even though you know the extensions are installed, there is a good chance that your extensions are corrupted.  We would need to reinstall the extensions.  Please contact our support team to accomplish this.

Warning: You will lose your themes and shared borders when the extensions are reinstalled.  So you would need to make sure your local copy of the web is current and once you receive a notice from our support team that the extensions have been reinstalled, upload your website again.

6.5.7 Server timing out

This perhaps the most serious flaw with FrontPage.  This problem surfaces when uploading a website with a huge number of files to our server.  The official suggestion from Microsoft is to break the web into a smaller sub webs on your PC, then upload these individually. 

FrontPage2000 has a new feature that makes it easier to do this: