Front Page and ASP: Your Opinion 7

[jfrost10]

Hey gang,

OK, I'm going to be working on a website that I'm pretty sure will have some form of asp or asp.net code involved. One of the developers is really pushing to use Front Page as the main developmental tool for this. So my questions is:

What is your opinion of Front Page as a whole, why, and how do you feel it handles asp development?

Thanks gang,

jack

 

[BBirkett]

Everybody has failed to mention money!! If you have been given a large enough budget, then implement a full database backend with admin tools. If you are on a strict budget of either money or time, then allow for time to train your clients on how to update the static html text by themselves over ftp.

The full db way would require an edd,edit,delete and maintain pages, allowing for user and admin user groups, for each bit of functionality throughout the site. For a 10 page site, this could blow out to 40 pages, not mentioning login/logout security etc. Be prepared if you go this way, to take at least 3 times as long as the first.

Work out your budget then decide which is feasible. Brett Birkett B.Comp
Systems Analyst

 

[hithere]

Couple of thoughts for ya':
We use Frontpage 2002 now, started with FP98. 98 was a little cumbersome, 2002 is definitely slicker. Our development team ranges in ability from starting at nothing to one who is a whiz-kid. FP has been great for everyone, generally speaking.

What I primarily don't like about FP is the *^$%$& bots. These things are essentially collapsed code portions. If you hardcode in Notepad and then open in FP, things like image maps are collapsed into a bot. REALLY annoying and sometimes problematic.
FP also has the REALLY annoying habit of "helping" you by rearranging the code on the page. Unfortunately, when it re-arranges things, it's not necessarily easier to read.

To echo one of the thoughts above (Dilletante?) it kinda depends on usage/team strength. Having someone who's new will find FP pretty user friendly.

Oh, if you use FP2002, make SURE that you get the XP-SP1 or you'll have a nightmare with forms. FP2002 (again, one of those bot type things) will insert &quot;comments&quot; when you're doing validation (through FP). Without the SP installed, FP will sometimes insert a </form> immedately after the <form>.

hth
mb

 

[AncientTiger]

BBirkett- Question arises from your proposition... Which would be more cost effective? Spending a little more for a administrative interface that data entry could just throw in the figures and hit &quot;UPDATE&quot; (or whatever), or spending the data entry's person time having to manually update html over and over and over again? I'D be inclined to think that over a course of a few years, if you tallied up how much time your entry folks spent on updating the static HTML pages, you'd be amazed at how much you could've SAVED by doing it right the first time...


Just my .08 worth

 

[BBirkett]

AncientTiger... it depends on what the project is. Nobody has mentioned in the scope of work that a database is involved at all. We are all just assuming that there is. It could be a site with static text all through it, using asp for reasons other than db work. If this is the case, it could be more cost effective for the client to get training on how to update the text themselves. I have had clients that request this method in the past, because they didn't want to pay for a full blown db version.

It also sounds to me like you are assuming that the project is internal, by the way you talk about saving money over time. What if the project is for a client, and jfrost10 is getting paid to develop the application? The client will therefore suggest a budget, and jfrost10 would have to stick to that budget. He's not going to want to lose money on the job because he has blown his budget all to let the client save money over time. So once again, it depends on the circumstances.
Brett Birkett B.Comp
Systems Analyst

 

[AncientTiger]

BBirkett- Point well taken. I've done a few websites for clients the way THEY want 'em done, and after the project is done I think to myself, &quot;YUCK&quot;.... but it's the way THEY wanted it done. And as the old saying goes, &quot;The customer is always right&quot;.