Note: This page has fallen into abeyance; my Frontier book is out of print (although it is available for free on the Web), and I’ve started working on RubyFrontier, a port of Frontier’s Web-site-making features to the Ruby language, so as not to be dependent on Frontier for anything any more. However, I’ve left this information here, as it might be useful to those interested in Frontier. Just be aware that the facts may be out of date and that I have no intention of updating them.

Things Having To Do With UserLand Frontier

A Book About Frontier

Or, as I like to think of it, The Book (because this was my first published computer book).

It got a great review in the premier issue of Barnes and Noble’s bi-monthly newsletter on computer books, Cyberian Express (not to be confused with Cyberian Outpost’s online newsletter of the same name). And readers have said the nicest things about it; you can read some of their comments, if you like. Many thanks to all.

Complete documentation and thorough, ground-up instruction: the teaching manual I wish I’d had when I was learning Frontier. It was published by O’Reilly Associates and is called “Frontier: The Definitive Guide”. Now out of print. You can read the entire book on the Web. Or if you’re just curious, you can look at the book’s table of contents or index right here.

Frontier has evolved somewhat since the book was written, but with the exception of Manila, I’d say the book remains 85% and 90% usable, whether you’re using it on Mac or Windows. It is still the best way to learn UserTalk, in my not so humble opinion. Note also that the concept “Frontier without Manila”, to which the book applies, describes Radio UserLand. So the book is applicable to that as well.

If you’re curious about what Frontier is, you can read the full book description; or, you can look at a little article I wrote in TidBITS explaining what Frontier 6 is; or, you could glance at my online tutorials about it (see next items). Basically, it’s a scripting program for automating all sorts of tasks involving multiple applications communicating with one another, and a CGI / server program; and one of its nicest uses is for generating and maintaining (and optionally, even serving) large Web sites.

Up and Running with Frontier 5 Web Site Management

(Download only.) A full updating and revising of my Frontier Web site management tutorial for Frontier 5 and later, both Windows and Mac! (It’s true that UserLand also promulgates a version of my 4.2.3 tutorial which they’ve edited for Frontier 5, but this one is really by me.) Accurate, carefully structured teaching. Burst through the learning curve! Please check it out if you’re learning the new Frontier.

Serious First Steps in UserTalk Scripting

(Download only.) Revised for Frontier 5 and later. Good for both Windows and Mac! Much more error-free than the UserLand edit of my 4.2.3 tutorial. If you’re a Frontier beginner who wants to start experimenting with UserTalk scripting, this is the thing to read.

Lecture on WSF

The text of a letter I wrote to one of the Frontier mailing lists, explaining how to adjust your Frontier Web site so you can serve it dynamically behind a Web server.

Up and Running with Frontier 4.2.3 Web Site Management

(Download only.) Earlier tutorial on how to use the basic features of the extremely cool and free UserLand Frontier 4.2.3 (Mac) to build and maintain Web sites.

First Steps in UserTalk Scripting

(Download only.) Earlier tutorial that gets you started programming Frontier 4.2.3 in UserTalk. Teaches you enough that you can write the excellent demo Dave Winer did at Internet World in LA at Gil Amelio’s keynote speech!

ALittleHelp

Online how-to help reference for Frontier 4.2.3 beginners. It’s a Frontier outline, so just download it, open it, and load it into Frontier. It’s a very full reference, yet it’s arranged in topic order so you can drill down quickly through the outline to find the information you need; and, because it’s right there in Frontier, you can get further info on any verb or database address mentioned, by control-double-clicking or command-double-clicking on it. Download a copy.

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This page prepared August 16, 2012 by Matt Neuburg, phd = matt at tidbits dot com, using RubyFrontier. RubyFrontier is a port, written in the Ruby language, of the Web-site-creation features of UserLand Frontier. Works just like Frontier, but written in Ruby!
Download RubyFrontier from GitHub.