Microsoft Expression Web (Visual QuickStart Guide)

As a seasoned website developer and avid fan of online publishing, I have tried to keep up with new developments in website design programs over the years. In my opinion, the more user friendly, the better it is for me. I never managed to learn HTML, but succeeded using the GUI interface for which Microsoft is so well known. I utilized Microsoft FrontPage from the very beginning. However, as time went by, my websites begged for a more modern look and more interactive features, forcing me to use other software at times. While the FrontPage format was quite simple and straightforward, I was curious to see whether Expression Web would meet my needs.
So when Microsoft abandoned its long-standing tool, FrontPage for Expression Web, I naturally became interested. Nevertheless, this development required another learning curve, and I wanted a reasonably clear textbook to learn with, something that would not overwhelm with information or technical lingo. I was also interested in locating a textbook that would be good to use in a course on basic website design. PeachPit Press has succeeded in serving both purposes.
The book reviews the basics of website design quite well. As we all know, before attempting to create a website, we need to have a plan. Who is it for, what is my timeline, what pages will it con-tain. How about interactive features, navigation structure and links? This book will help you to deter-mine all of these.
This book has easy-to-follow instructions, a simple layout and plenty of tips and examples for both the experienced and inexperienced user. Even if you never used FrontPage, this book can guide you through the basics to the more technically sophisticated features of any website.
There are 12 Chapters which take the reader through the basics of Expression Web's inter-face, then the basics of creating a site including using templates included with the program. Not every feature on every page is necessary for every website; the book covers enough to get a basic site going or to add and enhance features on an existing site.
The first six chapters begin at the beginning. Clearly explained are how to create a site with a template or from scratch. Subsequent chapters go over page properties, page creation, working with text, images and hyperlinks. The chapter on links alone clears up a lot of misinformation you may have about creating links and bookmarks within a site. Subsequent chapters review initial setup, terminology, the language with which one communicates with the application, suggestions, and examples.
There is much information on creating Cascading Style Sheet styles. Chapters 7 and 8 clearly and concisely explain how and why these would be used, making it understandable. Expression Web makes it easy to do this, and the step-by-step examples and illustrations clarify this.
One of my favorite features, which would consume much of my designing time, is interactive buttons and other behaviors. This particular function is not readily available on online programs, such as Google's Page Creator, so is one I value in Expression Web.
Another very important aspect of website design is the creation of tables, and this is covered extensively in Chapter 10. If you don't use tables in your website, you should consider this to hold your text in place consistently.
Forms are also covered, from creation to the recovery of the form result, in Chapter 11.
The book concludes with how to publish a site, which may seem daunting but Expression Web comes with a built-in feature that helps identify the remote site, and remembers this for each website you create.
An index makes it easy to go back and review any skill learned.
This book is easy to read, has much information interjected on the margins, extra tips and humorous observations by the author. I should also mention the numerous screenshots, so you don't feel lost when following the steps. Even if unfamiliar with some of the more sophisticated or technically challenging features of Expression Web, you can create a rather professional website using skills you already have.

Like alot of FrontPage users, I was nervous about the new software and I decided that this book should be the one to get me up to speed. They call it a QuickStart guide, but QuickFinish would be more like it!

Have you ever heard someone explaining something to you and you get more and more excited about what you're hearing and then all of a sudden, they just stop and you are left wondering where the rest of the story is? That's the way this book is. Nothing is finished and the writer just touches on the things you really want to know and goes no farther.

This book left me disappointed and wanting much more.

You ever played a video game where you it just whisks you along for a while and you're enjoying it. And then you get to a boss and you spend hours of frustration trying to surmise how to beat him. This book is the written equivalent to that frustrating video game.
It sets the stage nicely for the absolute beginner. Detailing every click, laying out every way to move toolbars and every minute detail of the interface. Then holding your hand as you see the very basics of links, pictures, and text. Which is great a beginner books needs all of this done in a comprehensive and non-threatening way.
Where this book falls down is it uses the same linear approach to vastly more complex subjects like CSS authority and floats as it did to detailing the options of a box designed to set font type.
Sometimes in a book simplicity is the key and sometimes simplicity when dealing with complex issues is deadly.
This book gets tunnel vision when it deals with the complex issue of CSS and doesnt give an adequate broad picture of the concepts and how they will relate to your website. It doesnt detail any of the common pitfalls to CSS. It doesnt have really good follow along examples.
The whole book is a bit odd frankly it is so meticulous and comprehensive on relatively easy subjects and then covers vastly more complex issues in a few pages with limited examples and little indepth discussion.
CSS is this books amped up boss and it is something you will have to learn to 'beat' on your own.

This book was s disappointment. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because it did have some useful information. However, if you entered text into your website the way it is described in this book, you will have a mess on your hands. You really need to use the "New Styles" button to style everthing, not just a few things, including text. Expression WEb is very touchy and is based on cascading style sheets. When the CSS meets conflict, you lose total control over your site and your styles. This is why you need to creat styles for everything. Until I learned how to check for the conflict, I was utterly clueless. It is not intuitive at all.

This book, not unlike many others, fails to discuss this issue. EW is not to be used like a word processor. YOU Must Create styles.

I have found a huge lacking in tutorials and books that are helpful. So I mention right now that I am writing a book for the Newbie, an Expression Web 101 book for beginners. I also have a website I am starting for tutorials. www.expression-web-tutorial.com It is not ready just yet, but in a few weeks, check it out.

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If you are making the change from Microsoft FrontPage to Microsoft Expression Web I highly recommend this book with its helpful visual aids and informative text.

And if you desire to convert websites created with FrontPage to Expression Web authored sites which are far more compliant with W3C standards this is the right book for you.