using frames

[Earl Young]

     Frames are invaluable in a reference setting because you can use them 
     to provide a list or lists on one portion of the screen while 
     presenting the pages to which they point in another.  Frames take 
     fewer than a dozen lines of code to create - the only thing they do is 
     let you display more than one HTML file at a time on a page.  Nothing 
     more, nothing less.  There are fewer than 9 lines of HTML necessary to 
     set up a page with multiple frames.
     
     You can run an index down the left, for example, and display the 
     material to which the index points in the right.  That is very 
     valuable during a research session.  Lots of people use frames badly, 
     but in proper context they are very powerful tools.
     
     How do you set up frames?  It takes a FRAMESET and a /FRAMESET 
     command, and a line telling the browser how many frames you wish.  
     There is typically an attribute telling the browser how much of the 
     screen is going to be occupied when it opens, and a line that 
     indicates which file should be displayed.  That is all there is to it. 
     
     Earl Young


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: using frames
Author:  jhurd at indiana.edu at INTERNET
Date:    1/28/97 1:15 PM


     
 In a class we developed a prototype for a Library School intranet.
We interviewed people (Library School staff, Profs, and students) about 
what they would like on the intranet.  Although it was not on the formal 
questionnaire, person after person volunteered "No frames!"  
     
On Tue, 28 Jan 1997, Sheryl Dwinell wrote:
     
:Our home page committee is in the process of redesigning the layout and 
:design of our library's web site. One option we are considering is using 
:frames in order to have a sort of clickable 'table of contents' in the left 
:frame that would stay resident on left side as the pages of links selected 
:would appear in the right frame. We'd like to replace our current button bar 
:approach to navigating through our site.  The problem is that we aren't 
:quite sure how to work this into the opening home page design. We had 
:considered introducing the frames once the user gets past the first page, 
:but this seems like it would be a lot more work than setting up frames with 
:the first page. Then again I'm just beginning to work with frames, so if 
:that assumption is incorrect, someone feel free to clue me in. I think we've 
:pretty much ruled out a floating frame.  I'm wondering if anyone can suggest 
:some library sites that are using frames successfully or creatively. I'd 
:also appreciate anyone's comments on the feedback they've received from 
:their users in regards to frames. 
:
:Thanks much!
:
:************************************** 
:Sheryl Dwinell
:Cataloger/Database Management Librarian 
:Memorial Library, Marquette University 
:P.O. Box 3141
:Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141
:dwinells at vms.csd.mu.edu
:414-288-3542
:************************************** 
:
:
     
               _______________JIM HURD_____________ 
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