Link Bars
Article ID: KB101155
A FrontPage Link Bar is a FrontPage component that generates a list of links that are used for navigating a web site. The links may be text hyperlinks, or, if a FrontPage Theme is used, the links may be image hyperlinks.
While you may create your own list of links (by typing them out, or creating your own images and linking them), FrontPage Link Bars allow you to easily update the links across your whole web site so that you don't have to update each page separately when you add a new page.
There are different types of FrontPage Link Bars which may be created:
- Bar with Custom Links - This type of link bar allows you to create a list of links that you define. May be referred to as Custom Link Bar.
- Bar with Back and Next Links - This type of link bar allows you to create a list of pages that are in a "series." The link bar will then display "back" and "next" links to allow the user to navigate through the series. May be referred to as Back/Next Link Bar.
- Bar Based on Navigation Structure - This type of link bar creates lists of links based on the navigation structure of your web site. This type of link bar is found in most FrontPage Web Templates. May be referred to as Navigation Bar or Navigation Link Bar.
What kind of link bar is best for me?
Most web site templates will come with pages that use link bars based on the navigation structure. Because you must work within the site's navigation structure, seeing a visual representation of the structure of your web site, you are forced to logically organize the different pages of your web site into sublevels, especially if you have a larger site. The link bars that are based on the navigation structure are consistent across your pages and sections, making it easier for the end-user to navigate. However, because link bars are defined by the navigation structure, some users may find these types of link bars limiting (for example, you can't have a non-home page show up on more than one link bar). This is where custom link bars come in.
Custom link bars are good if you have a certain section where you want a quick list of links, such as a "quick launch" area on the home page, or if there is a need for you to have a particular page be displayed on more than one link bar. Custom link bars also allow you to create links to external web sites, to jump to places within your web page (bookmarks), or to link to an email address. Users who rely solely on custom link bars, however, may fall into the trap of repeating too many links on the various link bars, making the navigation confusing to their end user.
Back/next link bars are perfect for a "series" of pages, such as an article series, a group of journal entries, or even separate photo display pages.
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