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Berkshire FHS information

Use of Computer Packages
... for Genealogy and Family History

Web site creation

Also uses FrontPage Express. 
"This is more powerful but has been criticised because it tends to take over ones work (a criticism of many Microsoft products) and adds a great deal of redundant HTML.  This can make code very heavy (ie files unnecessarily large) and more difficult to debug.
"My understanding is that Express also writes a certain amount of 'invisible' subcode which the average user is not intended to get at. Most of the time it does what it should and causes no problems but when it does go wrong it can cause a major problem. 
"On one occasion I deleted a line of HTML (plus its sub-code presumably) and this caused it to delete around 400 lines of content AND it deleted the last backup on the hard drive.  Since this happened we have come across a couple of HTML experts (which we are not) who have had the same problem.
I understand the latest version of Express does not suffer from this problem.

"I hear very good things about Dreamweaver but it is certainly not a product for the beginner.

"It is possible to get a basic web page together just using Word and it will look pretty good but life gets very much easier if you have even the slightest knowledge of HTML."

Also created a page using FTM's own system, but am not happy with it as FTM only allows the user to make alterations on-line.

Has tried Star Office and saved as HTML code. 
Star Office has its oddities, but it is reasonably straightforward and is a good deal easier than using Notepad to update the site, even if I occasionally have to manually adjust the code.  

I have FrontPage Express and Web Publishing Wizard on my computer, but haven't found them sufficiently attractive to want to spend the time needed to discover how they work.

I have used GED2HTML which turns GEDCOM files into indexed web pages.

Experience of word processors which write out HTML is that the HTML is verbose and not particularly good. I try to make fast loading pages which should be visible with any old browser, even text only ones.

Otherwise I use web browser and notepad so that I can switch between the text for editing and the webpage to see the result.  

I have also used software package Arachnophilia (Freeware) with good results.

Have used both Word and Front Page Express, the later coming free with the software on my computer.

Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Word 97 has trouble with some HTML commands - perhaps Word 2000 is better as I understand it is more web orientated.
Front Page Express is generally OK, handling tables better than Word, although it is necessary to use html commands to set their size.

Unless you are doing something complicated, both can produce an acceptable web page.

MS Publisher also claims to produce web pages - however these are produced as gigantic gif files (ie pictures of the pages) and should be avoided.

Claris Homepage is very easy to learn and use (available for Mac and PC) think this would be great for beginners .Quite intuitive.Like it a lot. Would put this top of the list for home use.

Page Mill a little fiddlier.

Go LIVe! fantastic Mac-based program but probably too big  for gen purposes.Very intuitive , drag and drop

Dreamweaver.- meant to be very good - good clean code - I have it but find that as a Mac user, it has a slightly PC way of doing things and does not really suit me. It's a big program to learn and I would consider Claris Homepage better for folk who want to do gen. pages.

Adobe Image Styler is first and formost a package to create web graphics but whole pages can be created and uploaded with it. Wonderful program - easy to learn, use, cannot reccomend it enough - like "FIREWORKS" for beginners but it's simplicity belies it's power.

I have just loaded Netscape so intend to give it a try: So far, producing three pages has gone reasonably well

My son uses Front Page Express.

Has looked at a demo of Dreamweaver but did not instinctively like the screen presentation and the 'learning curve' was clearly too great to attempt at the time.

Has created Web Pages using the facility in PAF

See for example:
www.dandylion.dsl.pipex.com/EddieGenealogy/spackman1669/

This is very fast, quite comprehensive and is absolutely free. The program includes such things as frames, font management, pictures, other graphics, forms, etc.. Each of the html commands can be colour-coded. This makes it very easy to put your beginning and ending commands in the correct place within the program and, of course note any missing end commands.   Set to operate to v3.2 of HTML but v4.0 commands should work

This is free and was downloaded from a site suggested by Virgin. It is simple to use: a log-in form, followed by a file display, rather similar to the filer in Windows 3.1 (I suspect similar to CuteFTP - Eddie)

Has used Web Publishing Wizard but finds it difficult to use.

Curently used WS_FTPLE

Written 27th Feb 2000 amended 22nd June 2005