comments interspersed....
turboace said:
I would like to create a website to promote my business. ie I need
something which looks professional. I intend to purchase software for
building.
[ -- Choice of development application --
If you're a beginner, then Frontpage is probably best for you.
Other more professional packages include Macromedia Dreamweaver, but of course
what you end up purchasing depends on your budget. ]
I've seen a few websites which really impress and would like to know
whether Front page can provide all the functions I'm looking for or
whether I would need to buy a different or additional packages.
[** could you post examples of what you're after please? **
Frontpage cannot necessarily do all the things you want to do primarily it
generates the html code, plus has a few extras such as basic database
manipulation, search egine/form, email-form handler etc, all of which require
special server extensions to function on a Windows IIS server.
There are many things in sites that are not done in frontpage - more often they
are hand coded html, and custom-scripted (Javascript/asp/php/perl etc) web
applications - more than Frontpage provides.]
The features I'm specifically looking for are:
1. To create a 'panel' in one section (eg left hand side of screen
large enough to hold say thirty words). The text within the panel to
revolve continuously without user intervention
-- Text scroller/slideshow/ticker --
Frontpage can't do this specifically - you need javascript for this. Search
www.hotscripts.com or
http://javascript.internet.com and/or search for 'vertical
scroller' on
www.google.com or other search engine.
If the scroller is what you mean (eg like credits scrolling up the screen at end
of a movie).
or there are other kind of ways, like "tickers" or "slide show" type ones.....
2. Good graphics - ie stuff which looks professional and isn't being used on
lots of other websites
[ are you good with graphic design? do you have a design in mind? you could
engage a designer to do this.]
3. Forms to enable users to subscribe to a newsletter
[ Frontpage has a 'registration' type feature (probably not what you want); you
will need a separate application to register users (where they fill in a form
with name and email), and for possibly sending the email - this will involve
databases and an email-sending function. - again
www.hotscripts.com might help
you there (lots of free scripts in variety of server-side languages) ]
4. Download files - eg Acrobat or maybe an access database
[ -- Download Files --
Yes, you can download any type of file that your host allows....PDF files are
common enough. You just link to them in an html page and they open in the pdf
reader providing the user has it, else it prompts for download. To force
download without it opening in the reader, you need to put it in a "zip" file
(e.g. Winzip), or direct the user to right-click and save-as.
PDFs are sort-of intended to be read online, but are also in a format that can be
printed immediately. ]
5. Fade text and graphic into and out of the page once loaded
[ --Page Transitions --
Be aware, this might look great on your machine, but page transitions are
something that are only supported by the latest browsers, and probably Microsoft
INternet Explorer at that. So netscape or other users won't see anything.
However this can be done with DHTML (or Javascript)
Page transitions are probably best left for Powerpoint presentations (not!),
which is where MS got the idea from it seems - carried over from another product.
Same with WordArt - don't use it - it is not supported by anything less than the
latest IE browsers.]
[ *** If you could post some example sites of everything you would like, this
would also be helpful in knowingexactly what you're after. *** ]
