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Visual InterDev

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Developers, writers, and designers can all work on the same Web project by using Microsoft® FrontPage® and Microsoft® Visual InterDev™ in conjunction.

Visual InterDev provides developers with a robust set of tools for developing Web applications, while FrontPage provides a WYSIWYG environment for editing pages that doesn't require programming knowledge.

When you create a Web application in Visual InterDev, the same Web application files can be opened in a FrontPage project to edit, view, and preview files. Visual InterDev users can also open a FrontPage Web and work on the files using Visual InterDev tools.

The following sections contain issues to be aware of when using both FrontPage and Visual InterDev on the same Web application.

Server Extensions

Adding Navigation Bars

Applying Themes

Using Source Control

To open a Visual InterDev Web project in FrontPage

  1. From the FrontPage File menu, choose Open FrontPage Web.

  2. In the Getting Started dialog box, select Open an Existing FrontPage Web and choose the appropriate Web from the list.

    -or-

  3. From the File menu, choose Open FrontPage Web.

  4. In the Getting Started dialog box, select More Webs.

    The Open FrontPage Web dialog box appears.

  5. In the Select a Webserver or disk location box, type the name of the master Web server and select List Webs.

  6. In the FrontPage Websfound at location list box, choose the name of the Web project and select OK.

  7. In the Getting Started dialog box, select OK.

When you work on Web project files in FrontPage, you are working in master mode. Once you save a file, any changes you make are available to all users. Visual InterDev, however, allows you to work in master mode or local mode.

Local mode allows you to make changes to Web project files on your local machine and later update the master Web server with your changes. Visual InterDev also allows you to work offline, which allows you to work on Web project files without being connected to a Web server.

Visual InterDev also uses icons in the Project Explorer to indicate the current state of a file in the Web project. For more information, see Specifying a Project Mode and Working Offline.

You can also open a FrontPage Web as a Web project in Visual InterDev. You must, however, specify in FrontPage that the Web project can run applications. Check the Allow programs to be run option available from the General Tab of the Properties dialog box.

To open a FrontPage Web in Visual InterDev

  1. From the Visual InterDev File menu, choose New Project.

  2. In the New Project dialog box, select Visual InterDev Web Projects and then choose New Web Project.

  3. Select Open. The Open or Create Web Project dialog box appears.

  4. In the Web Server URL text box, type the name of the FrontPage Web server.

  5. In the Web Name text box, type the name of the FrontPage Web.

  6. In the Options area, choose Open existing Web and select OK.

Warning   Opening .asp files in FrontPage can change the .asp file contents. Do not open .asp files in FrontPage.

Server Extensions

Visual InterDev and FrontPage use the same server extensions for Web projects.

Note   Make sure you are using the same version of the FrontPage Server Extensions for FrontPage Web servers and Visual InterDev Web servers in order to open, edit, and save Web project files successfully.

To identify Web server extension versions in Visual InterDev

  1. In the Project Explorer, right-click the root of the Web project and select Properties.

  2. Select the Master Web Server tab.

  3. In the Server properties area, note the Extensions version information.

You can also easily find the FrontPage Server Extensions version information in FrontPage.

To identify Web server extension versions in FrontPage

  1. In the FrontPage Explorer, select Web Settings from the Tools menu.

  2. Select the Configuration tab.

  3. Note the FrontPage Server Extensions Version information.

Adding Navigation Bars

You can use both the FrontPage Navigation Bar Bot and the Visual InterDev PageNavbar Design-Time Control to generate navigation links. Visual InterDev provides greater flexibility for creating navigation bars. For more information, see Designing Site Navigation.

Both Visual InterDev and FrontPage share the same navigation structure for a Web application. In FrontPage, you create and maintain navigation bar links in Navigation View. Each FrontPage Web has a single Navigation View and Navigation View can only have a single tree.

In Visual InterDev, you create and maintain navigation bar links in a site diagram. Each Visual InterDev Web project can have multiple site diagrams, and each site diagram can have multiple trees.

Note   In a single page, you should use only the FrontPage Navigation Bar Bot or the Visual InterDev PageNavbar control. Do not use both types of navigation bar tools in the same page.

Applying Themes

Visual InterDev uses a slight variation of FrontPage themes. For example, Visual InterDev themes do not use the active graphics and color options available in FrontPage.

Visual InterDev also applies themes differently than FrontPage. Visual InterDev uses cascading style sheets (.css files).

When you open a page in FrontPage that has a Visual InterDev theme, FrontPage will not recognize that a theme has been applied to the page. This can cause the page to appear differently in FrontPage and in some browsers.

If you open a page with a FrontPage theme in Visual InterDev, Visual InterDev will prompt you to replace the FrontPage theme with a Visual InterDev theme. For more information, see Customizing Page Appearance.

Note   For a consistent visual approach, use either the FrontPage themes or the Visual InterDev themes for a Web project. Do not use both types of themes in the same Web project.

Using Source Control

Visual InterDev and FrontPage allow you to use source control software with your Web projects.

In FrontPage, you can only check out files exclusively. Another user cannot check out and edit a file that you have already checked out. Visual InterDev, however, allows multiple users to check out the same file. For more information, see Working Under Source Control.