This week Microsoft Corp is expected to announce the availability of the beta version of its FrontPage 97 Web authoring tool. Boasting better integration with Microsoft Office than its predecessor (CI No 2,936) and improved ease-of-use, FrontPage will come bundled with Microsoft’s Personal Web Server for Windows95, Microsoft Image Composer, which enables users to create and customize sprite images, and of course Internet Explorer 3.0. The package will also include WebPost Wizard, a feature that will enable FrontPage to copy Web files to servers without needing extensions. The new product will also support HyperText Mark-up Language source code editing and Object Linking & Embedding drag and drop for the HyperText Language, GIF and JPEG files from the Windows desktop straight onto the Web. Also expected is an improved visual interface: Folder View will enable users to see the directory structure of their Web site with a look and feel consistent with Windows95 Internet Explorer. Java Script, VBScript and ActiveX will all be supported. Microsoft would not comment on the pricing or availability of the final product, but rumor has it that FrontPage 97 will be ready to go by the end of the year.
