Frames

[Alexander, Larry]

We seriously contemplated the whole frames issue back when we redesigned 
apnet.com at the beginning of the year. The concept of having a navigation 
bar that could be instantly updated throughout our 4,000+ pages (now over 
7,000 pages) by updating a single HTML frames page was extremely tempting.

The key factor which I have not yet seen mentioned here which pushed us 
over the top AGAINST using frames was bookmarking. Unless you use some very 
well though out page swapping, bookmarks essentially disappear at a framed 
site, except for the single bookmark to the home page. Bookmarks are a very 
important element for our users as gathered from the feedback that goes to 
our Webmaster. We just couldn't justify it.

We are now looking at serving up our pages from a database. This allows us 
to have the look of framed pages, update navigation bars universally 
throughout the site, and create a new "look and feel" or alter navigation 
of the site quite easily.

Until a database is instituted, we felt that we would live with less than 
perfect navigation for the sake of our users.


Larry Alexander
Academic Press
(Occasionally, I do express the views of Academic Press, but not often ;-)