Part I -- Creating a Subweb / Subsite and Setting Permissions.

A subweb or subsite (new terminology in FP 2003) is a folder in your site that FrontPage treats as a distinct web. You use subwebs when you want to apply different permissions structures to different parts or your web site.  Most folks use subwebs for protecting browser access to certain pages, but you can also use subwebs / subsites for managing the collaborative development efforts of a team.

In this tutorial, I will explain how to use subwebs / subsites and permissions to control browse, author, and administrative level access to your site.

Before you go any farther, not all hosts allow you to create your own subwebs.  You might want to check to make sure that your host allows subwebs and find a new host if not.  Switching hosts is much easier than you might think.

Step 1 -- Open Your Live Site

By "Live Site," I mean the site on your host's server.  Do File > Open Web > http://www.url.com > userID/pw > OK.  Now, you're working on the server the same way you normally work on your local computer.  Make sure you're in folders view.  In FP 2000/02, click the "folders view" button on the left column of the FP window.  In FP 2003, do View > Folders.

Click here for a screenshot of what you should see.

Step 2 -- Create a New Folder

Do this the same way you create folders on your hard drive.  File > New > Folder > Right click on folder > Rename > Type an appropriate name for your subweb / subsite.

Step 2 -- Convert Folder to Web

Right click on the new folder > Select "Convert to Web."  This will cause FrontPage to place hidden configuration files in that folder.  These configuration files allow FP to treat that folder as a distinct Web site such that any global changes you make within that subweb / subsite do not flow through to the rest of your site and any global changes you make to your main site do not flow through to your subwebs / subsites.  If you have ever seen folders on your hard drive with names that begin with _vti, these are the configuration files, I'm talking about.  VTI stands for Vermeer Technologies Incorporated, the folks who started FrontPage and sold it to Microsoft. 

You will see an alert box like the one below when you select "convert to web."

This is nothing to worry about if you're creating a new subweb with nothing in it.  It's something to consider, however, if you're converting an existing folder to a subweb.  If you are converting an existing folder with pages then make sure none of the pages are using includes from outside of that folder.  If you're using a FP theme, you will have to reapply the theme after the subweb conversion.  Also, it's probably best not to use the FP nav component if you want to navigate into and between subwebs.  It can be used, but it's probably more trouble than it's worth to implement.

Click here for a screenshot of what you should see after the conversion.

Note that the folder icon is now a subweb / subsite ion.

Step 3 -- Open Subweb / Subsite and Open The Server Administration Web

Just double click on the subweb / subsite icon to open.  Then do Tools > Server > Permissions.  This will bring up a protected Web site that uses the same permissions you use for FrontPage access.

Click here for a screenshot of what you should see after you enter your userID and password.

Step 4 -- Change Permissions

Click "Change permissions" > Check " Use unique permissions for this Web site" > Click Submit.  When that task is finished, click the "Administration" link at the top of the page.

Click here for a screenshot of what you should see after you click the Administration link.

Click "Change anonymous access settings" > Check "Anonymous access is" Off" > Click Submit.  This prevents users who have not been supplied with a userID and password from accessing the pages in this subweb / subsite.

Back on the main Administration page, click "Manage users" > Click "Add a user" > Enter a new Username and Password > Enter the Password again to confirm it > Decide whether you want the new user to have admin, author, or browse level access > Click Add User.

Click here for a screenshot of what you should see after you click Manage users.