FP98: Differences Between the Preview Tab and Preview In Browser

You may see different results when viewing a Web page using the Preview tab compared to using the Preview in Browser command on the File menu. This article describes the reasons for these differences.

NOTE: The following information applies to Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 3.0.

Some HyperText Markup Language (HTML) elements that you create in FrontPage can be displayed accurately only when you browse the page from a Web server.
These features include: FrontPage components:

1. Confirmation Field
2. Hit Counter
3. Scheduled Image
4. Scheduled Include Page component
5. Search Form
6. Substitution component

Form Elements:

1. One-Line Text Box
2. Scrolling Text Box
3. Check Box
4. Radio Button
5. Drop-Down Menu
6. Push Button

Image

Label (because it is used with one of the above elements) NOTE: Form field elements are HTML tags that are interpreted by the Web browser or when you preview the page in FrontPage Editor. However, FrontPage assumes that when you insert a form field on a Web page, you will be using the FrontPage Server Extensions or a custom Common Gateway Interface (CGI). These programs are accessed only when you browse the page via the HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP).

When you preview a page that contains one of these elements that cannot be displayed accurately in the preview, the following message appears above the preview: FrontPage creates a temporary copy of the HTML file in a directory called <frontpage root>\temp, where <frontpage root> is the directory in which you installed FrontPage 98. When you edit the HTML page in FrontPage Editor, you are actually editing this local copy of the file. When you click the Preview tab at the bottom of the FrontPage Editor window, this temporary file is displayed rather than the copy of the page that is stored on the Web server. The preview, however, is useful if you want to see the general layout of the file before you save your changes to the server.