FP2003 Dynamic Web Templates

If you haven't heard the buzz about FrontPage 2003's dynamic web templates, we would like to tell you about this exciting new feature. It will probably change the way you work with templates in the future. The topics contained within this section are to introduce you to these new types of templates and explain how they can make your next web site easier to design than ever before.

Templates are a fantastic time-saving tool. They allow you to create pages that share the same design but contain different content. Template designers have been bringing you great template packages for the past few years. Dynamic Web Templates adds new possibilities which now makes it possible for template designers to set up unique and sophisticated designs so that a user can add content without any fear of compromising the site's design.

The way you've used a standard web template:

• Purchase and install a multi-page web template.
• Create a new web using the web template.
• Delete the filler text on each page
• Place your text and images on each page.
• Change page names to suit your needs.
• Add and delete pages as necessary.

The FrontPage 2003 DWT way:

• Purchase a DWT template (which includes the page layout, all images, stylesheet, etc.)
• Create a new web and import the DWT folder into your new web.
• Create your pages and attach the DWT template to the page.
• Add your content to the editable regions (content and navigation boxes which are visible on the page)

Dynamic Web Templates are unique to FrontPage 2003, but the .dwt extension actually began with Dreamweaver and originally stood for DreamWeaver Templates. The idea behind DWTs was to make our FrontPage templates compatible with Dreamweaver. In fact, FrontPage and Dreamweaver users can now collaborate on a site. With this concept in mind, Microsoft developed its version of DWT templates which consist of editable regions, similar to DreamWeaver Templates. In theory, you would have specific "editable region" areas of a template where you could add your own content, etc. Non-editable areas would be protected from a user accidentally moving (or deleting) crucial table cells or divisions.

In a nutshell, when you purchase a dynamic web template, you no longer have to worry about form and only have to add your content. Quick and easy!