Re: FrontPage creates Unicode Web pages

In response to my:

> The beta release of Microsoft FrontPage 2.0 supports the creation of 
> Unicode UTF-8 Web pages.

I've received three mails, to which I respond below.

Andrew Faber wrote:

> I don't understand how FrontPage "supports" the creation of UTF-8 pages in 
> it's version.  I have downloaded it and see the option, and if I enter 
> text in the upper range I can save as UTF-8, however
> i) I can't seem to enter any text over the 256 character mark
> ii) I am forced to assign an 8-bit font to be referenced by the UTF-8 
> charset?
>
> I am trying to construct UTF-8 web pages.  Is there something that I 
> should add to my (8-bit?) font file to correctly map these characters in 
> FrontPage to their proper region in Unicode?

This FrontPage 2.0 beta release does the following:

1.  It allows you to specify that a page should be saved as Unicode UTF-8.

2.  If you choose this option it inserts a good <META HTTP-EQUIV= ...> 
    charset tag.  BTW, the charset is identified simply as "utf-8", which I 
    consider to be a Good Thing.

3.  All the characters in Windows Code Page 1252 are saved using their UTF-8 
    values (not using entity names or numeric character references).  This 
    includes the characters in the Forbidden Zone U+0080 to U+009F (pass me 
    the garlic necklace, the Holy Book and a silver bullet to ward off this 
    evil).  This includes, for instance, the character TRADE MARK SIGN, 
    which appears at position 99 of Windows Code Page 1252 and is, 
    correctly, saved as the UTF-8 equivalent of U+2122.

4.  Windows 95 has three fonts which are not in any sense 8-bit.  They are 
    Times New Roman, Ariel and Courier New.

5.  If you install Windows 95 Multilanguage Support (which comes as part of 
    the standard European Windows 95 CD; I don't know about the US version), 
    then you can type, eg, English and Russian and Greek and save the page 
    as UTF-8.  The page then displays correctly in any UTF-8 capable browser 
    but not, paradoxically, in FrontPage itself, where the non-Latin 
    characters get replaced by question marks.

Leong Kok Yong wrote:

> do you mean FrontPage 97 with BonusPak?

No.

David Baron wrote:

> A hearty mazal tov! It is about time.
>
> Of course, in Western Latin windows, I can say I am UTF-8 
> and not include a single UTF8 sequence. Since accented 
> characters can be named (&agrave;) or numbered, (&#204;) 
> and probably are (I have not tried it), the little option 
> may indeed be in name only. The program is definitely not 
> multiligual. Try ours:
> 
> http://www.accentsoft.com.
> 
> I like Front Page more than any of the others I have fooled 
> with. But if you want multilingual authorings, there is 
> only one.

As I have explained above, this version of FrontPage genuinely saves UTF-8 
values.  I agree that, as it currently stands, it isn't truly multilingual.  
I'm sure your product is great.  The reason I sent out my original mail is 
that it's good to see one of the big vendors Doing the Right Thing.

Misha

Received on Monday, 4 November 1996 14:04:28 UTC