What does everybody think of building a web site with frames? Does it matter anymore?A few years ago a lot of people disliked frames. What do you think?

David,

I think between browser caching and the availability of higher speed access really makes it so that it doesn't matter either way.

However, since you asked, I for one do not like frames, I prefer to try to optimize the site as much as possible to make it load quickly. It also helps to have a common template on pages, once cached it will load quickly.

I know that some people think that they can try to build some security into their pages by doing this and disabling the right mouse click. Needless to say if someone really wants the code they can get it.

It depends what your needs are, but I suggest you try stay away from frames as much as possible.

Aloha
I would say if you do not need to use them do not
they can be handy for some stuff
I have seen good use with pulling in contenet that is dynamic if ssi or db connections are limited
also have seen it used very well for vrtours
I am going to be doing some like this
it allows you to show a floorplan along side a room as you go throught etc..
I try to build wihtout them first as they can be tricky for SEO and linking etc...
tougher to work with
if a site is highly updated use ssi and db within a normal page if it is an artsy or visual site frames can be good
that is my rough rule

Thanks for the replys. The reason I ask is because I am in the process of redesigning my site. I was thinking about a frames layout but I think am going template based.

As Honu said, there are some specific applications where using frames is a good approach, but that's not the case with the way they're most commonly used: just to keep the navigation static in one frame, perhaps a header with a logo in another, and changing the main content page in the largest frame.

That's the typical framed site, and there are no real advantages to the approach but several big disadvantages.

Originally posted by David@Digisurge
Thanks for the replys. The reason I ask is because I am in the process of redesigning my site. I was thinking about a frames layout but I think am going template based.

Aloha
go templates but also go with SSI for such things as
menus
bottom text links copytright etc....
that will save you a lot of time
if you want your menu to be unique for each section say you have 10 main sections then make 10 unique ssi files for the menus
better to update ten menus then how many pages you have
make a bottom footer ssi

I use frames, or SSI, or Dreamweaver templates, depending on the kind of design I want for my site.

Frames are useful for lessening your work and load time, BUT if you put your navbar on a frame, and your site gets indexed by a search engine, people will have no way of getting to the other parts of your site when they land on just one particular page.

Originally posted by skysenshi
I use frames, or SSI, or Dreamweaver templates, depending on the kind of design I want for my site.

Frames are useful for lessening your work and load time, BUT if you put your navbar on a frame, and your site gets indexed by a search engine, people will have no way of getting to the other parts of your site when they land on just one particular page.

Aloha some easy JS can solve that and load the sub page to a parent frame same as you can make a page load the content needed or bust out of frames
but be careful about getting your pages caught in load loops using JS
example
if you go to
http://www.premair.com/main/drylease/747-400.html
this is a framed body page that if loaded should (most browsers)
load the proper content and proper framed set of pages

this site is getting a new facelift as the design is about 3 years old just so ya know and going to no frames
we used frames because we liked the look of the premair in the bottom and had a outside content database we were calling in so this was the best solution they no longer do database so no more frames ;)

now here is the code I used put ths in the head tags

<script language="javascript">
if(top==self) {
self.location.href='drylease.html';}
</script>

you can see the called html doc is within that dir I usually write these doc level
also if you use dreamweaver ultradev these extensions can be found in the exchange.
hope this helps somebody ;)

Frames = Bad.

Beer = Good.

Originally posted by Tim_Greer
Frames = Bad.

Beer = Good.

heheheh
my version would be

frames = Bad

a good 20 year Tawny = Good

a good 40 year Tawny = Even better ;)

Originally posted by Honu


heheheh
my version would be

frames = Bad

a good 20 year Tawny = Good

a good 40 year Tawny = Even better ;)

I can beat that... how about a 26 year old Shania? *LOL*

David

Experience shows that frame web pages do not apear in search engines very well.

From my opinion, most negative point for frames is this.
As contents of your web page is not on your frame page most search engines do not rank your keywords very well.

So if you need a good search engine ranking you may prefer not to use them.

Regards,
Mac

Strictly in terms of design, Frames can look really good, or really bad. Scroll bars floating on frames in the middle of a browser window look terrible I think. A thin bar up the top of the page (<40 pixels) can look nice, as it doesn't clutter up the page. Sidebars can look good, as long as they're done well and aren't too thick. I tghink the best frame designs are where they are done so that the frames don't look square. Tiled background images in scrolling frames aren't too good. You don't want your page to look like sliding stone slabs, which is the sort of thing this can do. Solid background colours are best. It's a little hard to explain, but what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't be able to distinguish exactly where one frame starts and another ends, including when the main frame is scrolling.

Then there's the search engine problem. As others have said, frames aren't too good for search engines. Unless your frames aren't critical (like you can browse your pages without being in the frameset), they're probably best to avoid unless your traffic won't be coming predominantly from search engines.