Difference Between Microsoft FrontPage and Adobe Dreamweaver

Microsoft FrontPage vs Adobe Dreamweaver

Microsoft FrontPage and Adobe Dreamweaver are both software tools used to develop and edit HTML documents. FrontPage was developed by a company, Vermeer Technologies, Inc. which was acquired by Microsoft in the year 1996. Frontpage software is also used to create dynamic websites. Dreamweaver is the most widely used web development tool. It was formerly known as Macromedia Dreamweaver since it was originally created by Macromedia. It is now developed by Adobe Systems after they acquired Macromedia in the year 2005.

FrontPage is developed as a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editor in a way to hide the details of HTML code pages from the user in order to make it simple and easy to create websites and pages for rookies. Dreamweaver includes a lot of transfer and synchronization features like find and replace text or codes, template features such as single source updating of shared codes and layouts throughout sites. FrontPage also included a similar feature in 2003 called Dynamic Web templates which allows a user to develop a template that can be shared across many pages and also entire websites. FrontPage uses a set of server-side plug-ins which is known as IIS extensions. The extension set was included in the Microsoft Office Suite ‘97 after many significant enhancements and was renamed to FrontPage Server Extensions (FPSE). The set of extensions need to be installed and run on the target web server for its content and features to function as expected.

DreamWeaver is built to support third-party extensions which help to extend core functionality of a web application. These extensions can be written by any web developer in HTML and JavaScript. There are an umpteen number of extension developers who develop and make extensions available both for commercial and free use. The extensions are available for simple web development tasks such as rollover effects to complex heavy-featured shopping carts.

FrontPage 2003 includes a new option called split view which allows the user to code and preview simultaneously without having to switch the view tabs for each review. Dreamweaver provides an option to preview web pages in various browsers. Dreamweaver has included a live view mode option in its latest version which allows a user to view any changes made in the real time environment. If a user makes a change in the code of the website, an instant feedback is provided by the live view feature thereby saving lot of time. Dreamweaver provides a script mode option to assess the code which is generally used by experienced developers. Dreamweaver also includes a WYSIWYG editor for novices providing design view where the code is automatically generated. It also provides a split view similar to FrontPage where developers can directly edit the code and also preview the changes simultaneously.

FrontPage is an HTML editor and website administration software tool for the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. FrontPage version for Mac OS was released in 1998 which contained fewer features compared to Windows and no updates or newer versions were developed since then. Dreamweaver extends its support for various scripting languages and can be used to develop dynamic web pages written in languages like Cascading style sheets (CSS), PHP, ASP, EDML, Cold Fusion, HTML, XSLT, XML, Java Script, WML, VB, VBscript, and Java. Dreamweaver is available for both Windows and Mac platforms.
Adobe Dreamweaver is the most popular and one of the best software tools used for web development tasks today.

Summary:

1.FrontPage is a product of Microsoft while Dreamweaver is a product of Adobe.
2.Dreamweaver supports numerous scripting languages including HTML while FrontPage can be used to create and edit only HTML documents.
3.Dreamweaver is more flexible and provides many powerful features whereas FrontPage is suited for novices.
4.Dreamweaver is available both for Windows and Mac OS while FrontPage is designed to work primarily for the Windows line of products.
5.Newer versions of Dreamweaver are available from time to time while FrontPage is no longer in production since December, 2006.

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